JLATitans: Invasion!
by Syl
Summary: An alien menace threatens the earth.
1. JLA/Titans: Invasion! (Part 1)

Summary: The Teen Titans meet the JLA members for the first time. Meanwhile, an unknown menace has been spotted entering the galaxy on a direct line towards Earth!

Acknowledgement: I'd like to thank Cambridge Cosmology Galaxies for its beautifully illustrated and educational astronomy website, and Robert M. Hazen's Why Aren't Black Holes Black, a provocative treatise on Man's search for answers to the seemingly unexplainable. I'm sure I got most of the science wrong, so I apologize to everyone in advance. :):)

As always, much thanks to Terri and Dannell for their patience and assistance; their critical input was priceless in the final development of my story.

Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome!

Copyright 1999

* * *

JLA/Titans: Invasion!

by Syl Francis

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." (Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice")

* * *

Prologue

The craft was hundreds of kilometers in length. Its relentless journey across hyperspace began at a time lost to its builders. On its endless journey, it visited a limitless number of galaxies and absorbed an infinite number of technologies into its very composition.

As it turned to bypass a giant, barred spiral galaxy, a tiny spark of intelligence set off the ship's indicators. Automatic systems, shut down for an eternity, quickly came online. The ancient vessel's independent Artificial Intelligence ran a systematic sweep of the billions of stars making up the young galaxy.

Four spiral arms branched off a "bar" passing through the galactic center, each arm comprised largely of young, blue stars. The bulge at the galactic center glowed brightly with its high density of older stars. Sensors detected evidence of a black hole at the center's nucleus. Finally, a halo comprised of dim stars in globular clusters surrounded the galactic disk.

Forward sensors sent out feelers, tracing the intelligence to its source. There! Within the third spiral arm of the galaxy, in a nine-planet system of a medium yellow star...the third planet! Spectral analysis showed multitudinous minerals in abundance. More importantly, the planet was replete with hydrogen and carbon, the necessary building blocks for biological life.

The automatic recorders began to analyze the various languages received. One syntactical linguistic pattern appeared more often than others: subject, verb, direct object. It showed a neutral article, variations for possessives, plurals, and...tense, indicating knowledge of time: past, present, future.

Computers, older than the galaxy the craft was about to enter, began their patient analysis of the primitive audio/visual recordings for phonetic markers: glides, diphthongs, fricatives, trills, aspirated, and voiced.

The visuals hinted at a race that could not survive the vacuum of space without protection, a race in its infancy of space travel.

A voice from thirty years past spoke.

"...That's one small step for man...one giant leap for mankind!"

At last!

* * *

Chapter One

Alfred waited patiently for his young charge to finish his milk and cookies. The boy's dark head was bent solemnly over his plate, a picture of total dejection. Dick was barely thirteen years old but already an experienced crime- fighter. Certainly, the most experienced of all the teenaged sidekicks with whom he'd recently formed close, binding friendships. They even organized their own teenaged-superhero club: the Teen Titans.

Although, Robin was one of only two without any superpowers, his keen intelligence and unusual maturity combined to make him the natural leader. Sometimes the boy felt resentful that the others always looked to him to solve whatever problems they came up against, although for the most part, he took it all in stride. Today was not one of those days.

"It's not fair, Alfred, they're always looking to me for the answers! Sometimes, I'm afraid that I'm gonna make a big mistake and order one of them to do something that I shouldn't have, and it'll get us killed or captured!"

"All one can do is one's best, Master Dick, you know that," Alfred said. Dick looked unconvinced. Alfred sighed. What could he say to transform the overly serious young crime-fighter back into a normal, mischievous thirteen-year-old boy?

"Master Dick, you of all people should know that one must trust not only one's own abilities, but also that of his teammates. Your parents taught you that. Moreover, you've certainly managed to pass that lesson to Master Bruce as well."

Alfred's eyes smiled fondly at Dick.

"Trust yourself, young sir, and your teammates. Remember, they're the ones who selected you to be their leader. I, for one, am of the personal opinion that they have chosen wisely!"

"Alfred, you're the greatest!" Truth be told, Dick felt happy just to be with kids his own age for a change, to be able to talk to others about problems unique to junior superheroes. It was nice to have friends his own age, a new experience for him.

"Naturally, young sir," Alfred said with refined assurance. "Now, if we don't wish Master Bruce to become put out with the both of us, might I suggest that you hurry down to the cave and begin your afternoon workout?"

"Yes, sir," Dick said smiling. A much happier boy rushed downstairs to what he considered to be the world's greatest playroom. Alfred's eyes followed the boy affectionately, then he turned to the task at hand: Dinner!

* * *

The next day, Dick received the news of a lifetime! He was finally going to be allowed to meet the other members of the famed Justice League of America...

"Alfred! Guess what?" Dick skidded to a stop at the door to the study where Alfred was dusting behind bookshelves that never moved. "Batman says that the Titans are meeting the big guns today! Gotta go!" He turned, a big grin lighting his bright blue eyes. "This is so cool! And Superman's gonna be there! Can you b'lieve that? Superman?"

The boy didn't wait for a reply. He practically flew down the Batcave's secret entrance. Alfred shook his head and smiled. Dick's hero worship of the Man of Steel went back several years. Alfred recalled how the boy even slept in Superman pajamas when he first arrived at Wayne Manor.

Alfred further remembered Dick's deep disappointment at not being allowed to meet Superman, or rather, the "Super-Alien" as Batman called him, because, while Batman worked with Superman on a few cases, he did not trust him entirely, and therefore would not introduce him to his junior partner.

However, Bruce's reticence never curbed the boy's desire to meet the Last Son of Krypton. Now that Batman was a bona fide member of the Justice League of America, and was even on a first name basis with Superman, his initial distrust was somewhat abated, though not completely.

* * *

Robin tried to look nonchalant when introduced to the other members of the JLA, but eventually just gave up. Green Arrow, Black Canary, the Atom, the Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and...Superman! They were all there! And except for Green Arrow, they were all extremely nice, shaking hands with him and the other Titans as if they were equal partners, or something.

Black Canary and Wonder Woman set up a nice "Welcome Aboard" icebreaker for the junior superheroes in order to give them an opportunity to become acquainted with their senior counterparts.

Robin saw that the other Titans looked just as excited as he felt over meeting the JLA. All except Speedy, that is. For some reason, the young archer appeared to be keeping a low profile. Funny, Robin thought. Speedy kept looking nervously in Batman's direction, and somehow always managed to be in the opposite end of the room that the Dark Knight currently occupied.

"Weird!" Robin muttered, shaking his head. His ruminations were interrupted by a friendly voice next to him.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Robin." It was Green Lantern. "I heard what you did against the Joker and his gang two nights ago. Using your grappling hook to bring down the warehouse on their heads was quick thinking. Very impressive!"

Robin blushed under his mask.

"Thank you, sir," he said. "But it wasn't my idea. It's one of the contingency moves Batman planned for long ago. We sort of practice it." GL smiled. Black Canary, who'd walked over with GL, also smiled.

"I see," she said. "You Bat-guys just happen to practice demolishing warehouses as part of your training program. That's very interesting. Tell me more." Black Canary's tone was light.

"Robin." Robin looked over to where Batman was standing exuding disapproval. Robin swallowed. He realized that he was giving away one of their training secrets. This would not be tolerated. Robin turned apologetically to Green Lantern and Black Canary.

"Excuse me, sir...ma'am," he said quietly.

GL raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Was it something we said?" he asked. Black Canary shrugged. They both turned to look at the JLA's enigmatic Dark Knight. He was talking in low tones with his brightly garbed junior partner.

"Something set him off," she said.

"Well, whatever it was," GL replied, "I can't let Robin take the fall." He started walking towards the Caped Crusaders.

"Poor kid," Black Canary muttered to herself. "What must it be like being the partner of the World's Greatest Grouch?"

"Excuse me." Batman turned to the intruder. Green Lantern, of course. The Dark Knight faced off against the Emerald Knight.

"I just wanted to congratulate you, Batman. Robin is a fine young man. An excellent example to the other junior heroes. Here he is with no superpowers, no invulnerability, no power ring...just sheer guts, intelligence, and the determination to get the job done. Sort of like a test pilot, eh, kid?"

Green Lantern added the last with a smile. In his civilian identity as Hal Jordan, GL had the reputation of being a man without fear, a test pilot who always pushed the envelope. This inner quality translated into his GL persona as uncommon valor in the face of overpowering odds.

GL was happy to see an answering smile light the boy's features, a smile that Robin quickly suppressed. Oh well, at the least the kid can smile, GL thought. He decided to talk to him later when the big bad Bat wasn't in sight. He nodded to Batman then left the Dynamic Duo alone.

Batman watched Green Lantern walk away. He gave a mental headshake. In Batman's mind, GL was too naive, too overly trusting, and too reckless an individual. That power ring of his made him think he was invulnerable. And while the ring's power was awesome, it wasn't impervious to harm. A man with no fear was a foolish man in Batman's assessment.

"I'm sorry, Batman," Robin said softly. "I'll do better, I promise."

Batman looked at his junior partner's mortified expression and felt a stab of guilt. What's the matter with me anyway? Batman asked himself. The boy's excited at meeting at the other heroes. I should relent just this once, shouldn't I? Batman's eyes narrowed. Like GL said, Robin had no superpowers, nothing upon which to rely except his wits and his training. To give away training secrets, even to their allies could come back and bite them later.

Who was to say whether any of these meta-humans might ever go rogue? Batman and Robin needed an edge in order to survive any possible future confrontation. No! It was best to curb this "hero worship" now! These men and women were colleagues, professionals, nothing more.

"We'll talk later," Batman said coldly. "Until then, try not to reveal the location of the Batcave." With that he spun around and walked over to where Superman was about to start the meeting. Robin's look of abject hurt--he had to talk the boy about telegraphing his feelings so openly--stabbed at his heart. Batman was beginning to believe that bringing Robin along had been a mistake.

By the time he took his place in the shadows of the conference room, Batman saw that Robin's face had taken on an inscrutable demeanor. That's more like it, he thought with approval.

* * *

"Star Labs reports that the anomaly will enter our Solar system within another four to five weeks. Long distance sensors can't determine what it is other than it's big."

Superman paused. He'd been briefing the assembled group for the past twenty minutes. He looked around the JLA conference table meaningfully.

"And I do emphasize big! It's about an eighth the size of our moon." His announcement was met with astonished gasps from the others.

"Great Hera!" whispered Wonder Woman.

"GL?" Superman said over the shocked voices.

"The Guardians have never seen anything like it, so it's new technology to the Green Lantern Corps. They caution my approaching it without further study, because at the moment we've no idea if the ring can go up against it. Spectral analysis indicates that bands of amber crisscross its superstructure...could negate the power ring's ability. But that's never stopped me before," he added with a slight grin.

Superman nodded.

"I've already looked at it with my telescopic and microscopic vision, and it isn't pretty. I saw several of what seem to be weapons emplacements, and what could be hundreds of smaller ships. People, our only conclusion can be that we are about to be visited by an unknown, possibly hostile force. Of course, the only way to ascertain its intent for certain is to either wait and see, or go out there and establish First Contact."

"As our two space-going experts, Supes," Green Arrow interrupted, "First Contact is normally your department!" He looked around and indicated the Flash and the Atom. "I mean Fleetfeet and Short-stuff here may be crackerjack scientists in their fields and all, but hardly of the Star Trek variety."

The Flash and the Atom exchanged cryptic glances. Black Canary closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands as if she had a sudden headache. Unperturbed, Green Arrow continued his personal assessment of his JLA teammates' weaknesses.

"Manhunter's on some sort of personal quest to find his place in the sun. Aquaman is King of the Seven Seas, not of the nine planets. Pretty Bird's sonic cry is unpredictable. And Diana..." He looked at Wonder Woman, who raised her eyebrow imperiously at him; he shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, "...Well, I don't know 'bout Diana. As for the Bats and me...well, we're just your normal kinda guys. Somehow, I don't think trick arrows and batarangs are gonna prove effective against something an eighth the size of our moon."

Superman's eyebrow went up at GA's description of Batman as a "normal kinda guy," but let the comment pass. Before, he could respond, a shy throat being cleared interrupted him. Superman looked over to where the Titans had been sitting quietly respectful throughout the briefing.

"Go on!" Wonder Girl urged. Robin looked at her like she was crazy. The other kids were similarly urging the Boy Wonder to take center stage, and he was just as determinedly shaking his head in a vehement NO!

"Excuse me, Robin," Superman said, interrupting the pantomime. "Is there something you Titans want to share with us?"

"No, sir," Robin said in a firm voice. He'd already gotten in trouble once for opening his mouth out of turn. He wasn't about to tell the JLA where they could go!

"Yes we do!" interrupted Wonder Girl. She glanced nervously toward her stepsister, Wonder Woman, who raised her eyebrow in mild surprise. "I mean, yes sir, we do. Robin said...well, maybe Robin should tell you himself."

Robin dropped his head in his gloved hand. Why me, he asked himself?

"Robin." The quiet, chilled voice cut through his humiliation. "If you have something to say--"

Robin's head shot up. He stared at Batman, trying hard to hide his conflicting emotions. Batman's menacing demeanor offered little assistance, but he'd just practically ordered Robin to speak! Robin swallowed. He was suddenly on his own. He slowly turned his head towards the rest of the JLA. Superman smiled encouragingly, as did Green Lantern.

Why can't Bruce be like them, Robin thought sadly. They were practically strangers and yet had done everything possible to put him at his ease since his arrival at the Hall of Justice. Taking a deep calming breath, Robin took a firm hold of his jangled nerves. Once he knew that he felt in total control, Robin stood and faced the World's Greatest Heroes.

"Sir, the other Titans are exaggerating. All I said was that we should just send the visitors a message or something letting them know that we're aware of their presence. If they're counting on their arrival not being detected, then knowing we're aware of them may give them pause before they continue." Robin shrugged. "I know it's not much, but if they are planning an invasion, they'll know the surprise element is gone; maybe it'll slow their advance." By then Robin felt himself blushing furiously. He dropped his eyes embarrassed. "Like I said, it's a dumb idea, sir."

"Absolutely not, son," Superman reassured him. "That's why we have these briefings, Robin. We bounce ideas off of each other. That's the whole point behind the Justice League, right Batman?" Superman asked pointedly. "Sometimes what a lone individual might miss, a team of people might spot." Batman didn't bother to answer the obvious.

Robin nodded his head, then returned to his seat. He wanted to kill Wonder Girl.

"You know, what Robin suggested may not be so far-fetched," mused the Atom. He was hovering over the others in his miniature chair. A respected physicist and visionary in his civilian identity, Dr. Ray Palmer was a highly sought after lecturer at Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life (SETI) Conferences.

"I've always been amused about the need to having these SETI conferences," Atom said smiling at Superman. "After all, I do work with the most famous extra- terrestrial of them all! However, one of the points of contention always discussed is First Contact! Do we try to establish a dialogue from the beginning, or do we start planning the next phase of our Star Wars technology?" He shrugged. "As my mother always used to say, talking first never hurt. It's certainly a more constructive option than beginning to build the space version of 'Big Bertha'!"

"Who's Big Bertha?" Kid Flash whispered.

"Shh-h!" Robin shushed him annoyed.

"All I asked was--"

"--A big cannon used during the First World War," Robin snapped. "Don't you read anything?"

"Flasheroo can't read! Didn't you know that Bird-boy?" Speedy said laughing.

"Shut up, Quiver-breath!" Kid Flash said.

"Make me, Twinkletoes!" The two boys' argument quickly escalated into a poking match. First one, then the other would reach over and jab the other. Sitting between them, Robin was literally caught in the middle of their childish altercation. Reaching the end of his patience, Robin grabbed them both by the wrists in a vice-like grip.

"Cut it out, guys!" he said sharply, louder than he'd intended. Robin felt all eyes on him. He swallowed and slowly turned to face the conference room table. The senior heroes were looking at the Titans with disapproving glances.

"Robin." He turned to where Batman was still standing in the shadows. Batman moved his head slightly. Follow me. Robin stood immediately, his resolute posture masking the internal turmoil he felt.

Great! Here we go again, he thought. As he stood, Wonder Girl spoke.

"Batman, please, Robin didn't do anything!" She turned to the superhero cut- ups, Speedy and Kid Flash. "Tell him! It was you two." Robin waved her away.

"That's okay, Wonder Girl," Robin said. "I'm responsible."

"Hey, no one's responsible for my actions, 'ceptin' me!" protested Speedy.

"Yeah, me too," piped in Kid Flash. "Batman, Uncle, uh-I mean, Flash...it was me'n Speedy being knuckleheads, not Robin. He was trying to listen to the discussion."

"Yeah, GA," Speedy agreed. "The kid was trying to listen, and me'n Twinkletoes were just giving him a hard time."

Batman and Robin stood in the shadows, oblivious to the protests going on around them. Mentor and sidekick were having a one-way conversation. To the onlookers their grim demeanor appeared identical. Neither smiled. Neither telegraphed any body language that could reveal what was being said.

However, to the others' sympathetic eyes, it was fairly obvious who was receiving the tail end of a major chewing out.

"I thought you knew better than to let the other kids get out of hand. If you don't think you can handle the job as Titans' leader, then maybe you should step aside and give the position to someone who can." Batman looked at the other Titans with disapproval. "Although, I don't think any of those children could lead themselves out of a paper sack!"

Robin stood stock-still under the verbal assault. He'd never felt so ashamed of anything in his life. He'd humiliated himself, the Titans, and now Batman in front of the JLA. He wanted to go home. Robin valiantly fought for self- control. He wasn't a quitter by a long shot. He'd show Batman! Robin nodded grimly, lifting his chin in proud defiance.

"Is that all, sir?" he asked quietly. Batman nodded. Robin executed what to the others appeared to be a military about face, and his expression tightly under control beneath his mask, he walked up to the Titans. Standing precisely at military parade rest, Robin addressed Superman. "May we be excused for a few minutes, sir?" Superman nodded. "Let's go, Titans!"

Robin turned and marched out of the conference room without looking back to see if he was being followed. The others glanced at each other with various expressions of bafflement, then wandered off after him. Wonder Girl flew up behind him.

"Dick! Please, wait!" she called worriedly. Robin stopped in his tracks. If he was going to take control, then it had to start now.

"Wonder Girl, how many times do I have to tell you that when we're in uniform we only go by code names?" he asked her sotto voce. "When is that little tiny bit of information going to sink into that pretty brain of yours?" Wonder Girl looked like she was going to burst into tears. Robin wanted to kick himself, but refused to relent. It was time he started exerting leadership qualities, even if it made Wonder Girl cry.

"Don't you know the danger you can put us all into if you let our secret identities slip for just a brief moment during a firefight? You have to remember always, that when I'm on the job, I'm Robin! No one else!" She nodded, her wide blue eyes tear-brimmed, her pony-tail bobbing. "Come on."

Robin grabbed Wonder Girl by the elbow, and pulled her after him into the lounge. The others soon joined them. He looked at them like a schoolteacher particularly displeased with his students' recent conduct.

"Okay, this the way it is, Titans. I'm not your mother. I'm not your father. I'm not your mentor, or your senior partner! I'm a kid sidekick, just like the rest of you. For some reason I still can't fathom, you made your leader. Well, I'm not going to be the leader of a group of irresponsible, lamebrained kids!"

Robin glared into their stunned faces.

"I may be a just sidekick like the rest of you, but unlike most of you, I don't have superpowers! And believe it or not, I'm not ready to get killed yet, either! So, either get with the program and start taking something in life seriously--besides scoring with Wonder Girl, Speedy--or get yourselves a new leader."

With that Robin stalked away, stopping at the huge viewing window. He stood, arms crossed, gazing out at the breath-taking panoramic beauty of Earth floating 25,000 miles below. Robin fumed silently. He cared about the Teen Titans. Forming the group had been his idea and even Batman approved. His mentor believed that it would be invaluable for Robin's training to work with others his own age. Robin simply thought that it might be fun to hang with other kids his own age for a change.

Robin's initial plans for the Titans included exchanging crime-fighting techniques and even cross training. He had definite ideas on how Kid Flash and Wonder Girl might enhance their speed and strength respectively with martial arts.

He'd love to experiment on developing new crime-fighting gadgets with Speedy, maybe even learn a little archery himself if Harper would have the patience to teach him. In exchange, Robin could show Speedy how to execute a quadruple spin...well, maybe a single to start with.

As for Aqualad...the Atlantean teen was severely limited by his need for hourly rehydration. Maybe Robin could show Aqualad some Eastern mind-control techniques designed to help him control his body's physical needs.

But the other Titans were all so indifferent to learning new crime-fighting methods. They just didn't seem to take anything seriously! They were all approximately the same age, just a few months apart at the most. Robin was probably the youngest, which was why he couldn't understand their behavior, or why they'd selected him to be their leader.

Maybe he was a little too serious, Robin privately admitted. But he led an extremely dangerous lifestyle; he couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment. Furthermore, Robin's idea of fun didn't exactly fit with the others' preconceived notion of enjoyment...

* * *

Robin remembered Wonder Girl's amusement when she caught him reviewing old cases, and studying the differing methods of the villains they'd encountered.

"Don't you ever relax and just have fun?" she asked teasingly. Robin looked at her perplexed.

"I am relaxing." At the time, he couldn't understand her sudden fit of helpless giggles...

Kid Flash likewise scratched his head in puzzlement when Robin invited him to help assess their fellow Titans' individual performances with a blow-by-blow analysis of each member's actions.

"What for?" the young speedster asked, his legs kicked up on the lounger, surrounded by various bowls filled with munchies and several opened bottles of soft drinks. Kid Flash appeared to be in as near a state of perfect relaxation as was humanly possible to achieve. He was watching the latest craze in Japanese animation. Something about space aliens taking over the universe, Robin surmised. Robin shook his head.

"Never mind," he said, leaving Kid Flash to his amusements...

Robin later tried to explain to a distracted Speedy that as leader, it was his job to make recommendations on how each member could improve his or her performance the next time they encountered the same villain, and also how the team on the whole could improve. Speedy's mind at the moment was on Wonder Girl.

"Yeah? What was that?" Speedy asked. Wonder Girl smiled at him, standing up suddenly to walk outside.

"I said that--" Robin began.

"Yeah, yeah, Bird-boy...fascinating! You're doing a great job! Keep it up," Speedy said hurriedly as he followed the young Amazon outside...

Later, Robin sat alone in the Titan's conference room. He was reviewing in his mind the exact reasons he'd formed the Titans originally. They seemed juvenile at this point. He sighed, his chin in his hand.

"I guess I should just tell Batman that the Titans are a failure and disband the group," he said quietly to himself.

"Why would you wish to do thus, Robin?" Robin looked up at Aqualad as the shy youngster walked in, unsure of his reception. Robin smiled his welcome. He was always extremely careful to try and make the young Atlantean feel at ease. It had to be difficult feeling literally like a fish out of water, Robin thought.

"Because it's the truth," Robin said. At Aqualad's raised eyebrow, Robin started to explain. He told Aqualad about his plans, his dreams of having like- minded friends who lived his dangerous superhero lifestyle. He confided to Aqualad what he thought was the best part of the job...seeing how they could all improve...how the Titans could become a viable force to be reckoned with.

"But none of them are interested! I make recommendations and most of the time they just go in one ear and out the other." At the Atlantean's look of incomprehension, Robin explained. "Sorry, that's just a saying...It means that the person doing the listening is ignoring what's being said."

"Ah," Aqualad said, understanding dawning in his eyes. "And this causes feelings of disappointment within you. Is this not correct?" Robin nodded. "Perhaps you haven't discovered the correct method to relay this vital information to the others so that they may understand its urgency?" Robin shrugged and again placed his chin on his hand.

"That's an understatement." At Aqualad's look, Robin just shook his head. "Never mind, it's not important. Thanks for listening, Aqualad. You're the only one who has." With that Robin got up and left the Lair, returning home prematurely...

* * *

Watching the blue marble that was the Earth on its orbit around the sun, Robin believed he would never understand the other Titans. All they seemed to want to do was eat pizza and listen to loud, raucous music. At least Robin thought it was music. He just didn't get it!

On the go since his parents' deaths, Robin never bothered to take the time to learn what was in or out in the pop culture, unless it affected a case he and Batman were working on. He didn't have any real friends his own age. He didn't attend parties, football games or take part in any extracurricular activities. He was still too young date, and since he attended an exclusive all boys' academy, he didn't know any girls anyway. Alfred didn't allow him to eat unhealthy foods, watch primetime television, or listen to certain rock lyrics.

For a kid superhero who'd witnessed some of life's seamier side on any given night, Robin admitted that he lived a rather sheltered life. Ah, to heck with it! Robin thought disgustedly. I don't need this! He whirled to face the others.

"Look, you guys have your fun while the world gets invaded by whatever that thing is out there. Me...I'm going back to the conference room to see if there's anything I can do to help. I'll see you later."

"Robin, wait!" Aqualad spoke for the first time that evening. The Atlantean teen was so reticent about speaking that sometimes the others often forgot he was there. Exceptionally shy and quiet, Aqualad seemed almost timid.

"I do not understand what the total problem is," he said in halting English. "But we are all friends. I do not wish to see you give up on the Titans. Robin, you are not the leader because we wish you to be. You are the leader because that is who you are."

Aqualad paused, and noticing the others' confusion, shrugged his shoulders as if he'd just explained a basic principle to a group of exceptionally slow students.

"Atlanteans believe that we are all guided by our destinies. Arthur is King of Atlantis because that is who he was born to be. You make light of your abilities. Perhaps you do not have superstrength and you cannot fly. Perhaps you cannot withstand the great pressures of the deep. However, that is not where your innate talents lie. You are the leader, Robin, because such is your destiny."

"Hey, Gillhead, how come you're suddenly so smart?" asked Speedy derisively.

"You jest because you know that you are not up to the task of leader," Aqualad replied quietly, stating a simple fact. Speedy smirk slipped a bit at this insight. "None of us is as yet; however, Robin has been a young warrior at the side of Batman for longer than some of us have even known our mentors. Even in Atlantis, we heard tell of a young, laughing daredevil named Robin. His exploits inspired me to try to improve my own performance as Aquaman's partner."

Robin's cheeks flushed crimson under his mask at the unexpected compliment.

Kid Flash ducked his head in slight embarrassment.

"Me, too, Batboy," Kid Flash admitted. "I mean, I only got my powers a few months ago. Before that I was just an ordinary kid with no particular skills to set me apart from the masses." He grinned. "Except that I had quite possibly the greatest uncle on the whole planet! Now I get to be his partner. Man, what a life. But, I know that without my superspeed, I'd just be Wally West of Blue Valley, a nothing special kind of guy. But you...Robin, I've heard of you since I was ten! I think all the guys in Blue Valley Elementary wanted to be you, the partner to the coolest guy in Gotham!"

"Coolest?" said Speedy. "You mean scariest!" He looked at Robin askance. "How can you work with the Bat-guy? He gives me the chills! Brr-rr!" He pantomimed a shiver.

Robin smiled, a rarity in the others' presence. So that was why Speedy acted so oddly during the icebreaker. He was afraid of Batman!

"Batman's not that bad. He and I just have to be careful 'cause...you know, Speedy. Heroes without powers are dead heroes if they slip up for even a split second! So we're always training." Speedy looked at him in shock.

"Always?" he asked. Robin nodded.

"But, Robin," Wonder Girl broke in, "when you're not being Batman and Robin, you must be doing other things?" She was looking at him in shock. Robin shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, I do other things besides train. I've got school during the day. Homework when I get home. Library if I have to do research. By the way Gotham City has got the way coolest librarian! Babs knows where everything is! I eat dinner. Lights out at ten on school nights. Weekends I get to partner with Batman till way late. And, of course, there's other neat stuff we do: forensics, computer searches, daily workouts." He shrugged his shoulders as if asking, "Doesn't everybody?"

"I thought you were going to talk about what you do when you're not training," Wonder Girl protested.

"What are you talking about? That's the best part!" Robin was grinning excitedly. He turned to the junior archer. "Speedy, you tell 'em! Superpowered meta-humans just don't understand the amount of training and dedication it takes to maintain our level of superhero activity!"

"Uh-h, I can't Batboy," Speedy replied. "Even on my best day I don't think I've ever rushed home to do my homework. I don't know Star City's librarian. Heck, I don't think I know where the library is, and I don't think GA's ever imposed a curfew on any of my activities."

"Never?" It was Robin's turn to look shocked. He mentally reviewed all of the 'Do's and Don'ts' that regimented his daily life. What would a life without rules be like, he wondered?

"We all follow our own paths, Robin," Aqualad said. "You and Speedy have many qualities in common; however, how you utilize those given talents and abilities differ widely. Eventually destiny will lead you on divergent paths, for you must each follow a different call."

Wonder Girl walked to Robin and placed her hand gently on his forearm.

"Robin, please give the Titans another chance." Robin stared long and hard into her gentle eyes. Making up his mind, he nodded and placed his gloved hand on hers as a sign of acquiescence. He turned to face the others.

Putting his hand straight out and palm down in front of him, Robin said proudly, "Titans Together!"

The others quickly gathered round, and their young voices echoed across the Hall of Justice.

"TITANS TOGETHER!"

* * *

Chapter Two

Ages-dormant computers continued their analysis of the audio/visual recording's possible intent by running it through an infinite number of permutations in billionths of a second. The awkward, low-gravity, hop-skip of the strange carbon lifeforms was played and rewound repeatedly...

* * *

"Personally, I don't see how the little guy can put up with it." Black Canary shrugged her shoulders at Wonder Woman and took a sip from her cup. She and the Amazon Princess were sitting in the kitchen having a quiet cup of tea together. Wonder Woman carefully put her cup down and looked steadily at her friend.

"Dinah, I know Batman. He loves that boy. Maybe too much," Wonder Woman said softly.

At Black Canary's raised eyebrows Wonder Woman shook her head reluctantly. While the Amazon Princess was privy to Batman's real identity, Black Canary was not. Black Canary nodded in understanding. Secret identity stuff. Almost all of the JLA had revealed their civilian identities to one another, except Batman. Wonder Woman took a sip from her cup to camouflage the awkward moment, then continued.

"He'll never voice his feelings in public. I'm not even certain he's capable of admitting it in private, but if you watch how he interacts with Robin, see how proud he looks whenever the boy does something exceptionally well, you'd see how proud--"

"Uh, Diana," Black Canary interrupted, "forgive me for saying this, but I haven't noticed any overt reactions from the Bat-guy, other than grim, grimmer, and I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. Feelings? Roy thinks Batman has ice in his veins."

Black Canary and Wonder Woman shared a small, guilty laugh.

"You should've seen Red!" Black Canary sputtered. "He kept trying to avoid Batman during the icebreaker this afternoon. No wonder GA calls him Speedy! I think he might've given the little Flash Kid a run for his money!" BC smiled at the image, then recalling how Batman treated Robin earlier, she slapped her hand on the table, in sudden annoyance, rattling her teacup.

"I wanted to bust Batman upside the head, you know that? He humiliated that poor little boy in front of everybody! Both the JLA and the Titans! How could he? Robin is the politest little guy! Did you notice how he was calling everyone sir and ma'am? Made me feel like I'm my mother or something. I don't think I've ever heard Roy address Ollie as sir. Hell, I don't think I've ever heard Roy address anybody as sir!"

She giggled suddenly.

"And that little elf costume Robin wears! He looks like he's about eight years old running around in that!"

Wonder Woman smiled at her friend's silliness.

"Perhaps," Wonder Woman acknowledged with a tilt of her head. "But have you ever seen the Boy Wonder in action?" Black Canary shook her head no. "Then I suggest you and I take a little walk down to the training room. I understand that the Teen Titans are going to be doing some training there for the next few hours. Donna told me that Robin has some ideas on how she might utilize martial arts to enhance her strength and her other warrior training."

Black Canary raised an eyebrow, then nodded her head as if to say, 'Lead on.'

* * *

"Don't you think you were a bit hard on the boy, Bruce?" Superman asked. He and Batman were in the JLA's control room studying the latest Star Lab readouts of the space anomaly. Batman made a single slashing motion with the back of his hand.

"Back off, Clark," he said harshly. "This is a personal family matter. Totally off limits!"

"Robin looked like he was gonna bust a gusset, as my Dad would say," Superman said. "Meeting all the members of the JLA. I know I was proud to finally meet him. Oh, I know you haven't really trusted me, Bruce. I'm not sure if it's because of my powers...because I'm an alien...both...or neither. It would only make sense that you'd want to protect your boy from exposure to me."

Batman turned to look at Superman's expression. The Man of Steel's countenance bespoke of hurt understanding. Batman turned away and walked out without further comment. Superman watched his retreating form with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

"I guess it's both," he said softly.

* * *

"But Robbie, I'm already trained in a differing number of warrior fighting skills," Wonder Girl said reasonably. "Mother would never have allowed me to return to Man's World with Diana if she did not feel that I was adequately prepared to face danger."

"Understood," Robin nodded, agreeing readily. "If you don't think you need the training..." he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, look I've got a few things to do for Batman. So, if you'll excuse me."

Robin turned to go. Wonder Girl quickly followed him.

"Robin! Wait!" She reached her hand to him, placing it on his shoulder. In an instant, Robin grabbed her wrist, turned under her and threw her head over heels to land unceremoniously at his feet.

"Oof!" Wonder Girl inadvertently uttered when she hit the floor. Still holding her wrist, and before she could recover, Robin quickly grabbed her lasso and tied her arms behind her back. He then looped the rope around her a couple of times, but this was essentially overkill. As soon as he'd tied her hands, she was completely at his mercy.

Holding onto a length of her lasso, Robin looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"You were saying?" he asked.

Obediently, Wonder Girl began to repeat, word for word, what she'd said earlier until Robin finally held up his hand and stopped her.

"That's enough! I think we both get the point."

Wonder Girl looked ready to kill him. Robin smiled teasingly.

"Before I untie you, you have promise not hurt me!"

Too angry to respond verbally, Wonder Girl nodded her promise. Robin untied her, and Wonder Girl immediately stood up. It looked like she was using every ounce of self-restraint to keep from hitting her friend, and breaking a few of his bones. Robin held up his hands and smiled disarmingly, an action so uncharacteristic that it caused Wonder Girl to pause. Eventually, she smiled too.

"Whew!" Robin said. "Thought I was goner for sure!"

Wonder Girl giggled.

"You almost were...and don't think you're off the hook, yet, Boy Wonder!" She warned laughing. "What was that all about, anyway! Humiliate Wonder Girl for kicks, or something?"

"Of course, not! You know I'd never do anything like that! Too dangerous. You could easily kill me in anger!"

Wonder Girl gave a small laugh, but saw that Robin wasn't joking. "Oh, Robin, I'd never--" she started denying.

"Perhaps not intentionally, but you certainly have the ability, and I have to approach you with that likelihood. Today, you're my friend, but what about tomorrow, WG? What if tomorrow someone takes control of you through your magic lasso and orders you to mop the floor with me, and not to spare the bones? What then?"

When the possibility of what Robin was saying started sinking in, Wonder Girl's eyes widened in shock.

"It would never happen, Robin. I know it!" She stared at him proudly; her chin jutted out stubbornly.

"Wonder Girl, what I just did was no fluke. You left yourself wide open. Of course, I couldn't be sure that you'd follow me and place your hand on my shoulder, but I've seen you do the same thing on at least three occasions against some of the goons we've encountered. When I turned to leave, I counted on you doing exactly what you just did." He shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't sure if I'd be able to take you down, but I figured that if I could do it, then..."

"Then, one of the super-villains that we meet in the future might be able to do the same," she finished. Robin nodded. Wonder Girl studied her serious friend for a moment, assessing the information Robin had just shared about her personal weakness. She wondered if there were any others.

"Okay, Boss Man," she said nodding. "When do we get started?"

* * *

Unknown to the two youthful heroes, several people witnessed their entire exchange.

Watching from the training room's observation deck, Wonder Woman gasped when Robin first tied up her stepsister. She wouldn't have thought it possible! She'd witnessed the young man in action before and had been duly impressed by his virtuosity. The boy could almost fly across the rooftops without the benefit of wings. On at least one occasion she witnessed him descending from dizzying heights without the use of one his safety lines until the last possible moment.

She'd watched him dodge the hail of bullets from automatic weapons, by executing some of the most elaborate aerial acrobatics she'd ever seen. And while occupied with the daunting task of avoiding being killed, he'd still kept his cool, throwing either one or another of his array of defensive weapons at his assailants, invariably succeeding in disarming them. All the while spouting some of the most gosh-awful puns she'd ever heard!

But to overwhelm her Amazon-trained stepsister, Donna? To take her lasso and tie her up?

Wonder Woman's jaw dropped when Robin did just that. She turned to Black Canary. Her shock was mirrored on Canary's face.

"I recognize Robin's technique as an Aikido defensive throw in combination with a wrist grab from behind. Nicely done," Black Canary said approvingly. "I heard the kid was good, Diana, but frankly, I didn't know just how good until this moment."

"You and I both, Dinah," Wonder Woman said softly. "You and I both."

* * *

From the shadows of the observation room, the Dark Knight allowed himself a small smile. The boy was certainly showing he had the right stuff. Perhaps this trip hadn't been a mistake after all.

* * *

"Yeah, yeah, Bird-boy! You're pretty good at beating up girls! Let's see what you can do against someone your own size!" Wonder Girl and Robin turned to the newcomer. Speedy! Robin's eyes narrowed a bit, but he swallowed his retort. Instead, he gave the junior archer a neutral wave.

"Speedy." Robin nodded his acknowledgement, then deliberately turned his back. "Look, I'll be working with Wonder Girl for a few more minutes. Why don't you take a seat or something, and I'll be with you in a moment."

Angry, Speedy began walking to where Robin and Wonder Girl were talking about tactics and the methods to take down someone who was of equal or greater strength.

"Well, WG, like I was saying, if you use this method..." Robin carefully put his hands on Wonder Girl in places designed to give him the greatest leverage, "...then you can do this!" Instantly Robin had Wonder Girl on the mat, while he holding her in headlock.

Wonder Girl giggled.

"I bet you do this to all the girls!" she teased. Robin instantly tensed and released her. Standing up, he self-consciously placed his hands at his sides.

"Is that right, Bat-boy?" Speedy asked mockingly. "Do you like beating up on helpless girls?"

Robin didn't bother answering. Wonder Girl helpless? Yeah, like a Siberian tiger was helpless! Robin instead gave Wonder Girl a hand up. Resolutely keeping his back to Speedy, he checked her to ensure that she was all right.

"You're okay? No bruises or anything?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't be silly, Robbie!" Wonder Girl protested. "I landed on a soft practice mat! You should see the rock quarry that my warrior sisters use to train in the arts of battle on Paradise Island! I'm okay."

"Well, I'm not okay with it!" interrupted Speedy.

"That's good," Robin said addressing Wonder Girl and ignoring Speedy. "Would you like to continue the lesson? I had you scheduled for another fifteen minutes. After you, I have Speedy, then Aqualad."

"Hey! Bird-boy! I'm talking to you!" Speedy yelled, growing angrier by the minute.

"Of course, I'd love to continue the training, Robin," Wonder Girl said, oblivious to Speedy's outburst. "This type of hand to hand combat is new to me. Would you mind if I taught my sisters on Paradise Island some of these techniques?" Then dropping her voice added, "Would Batman?"

"I don't see why he should," Robin said shrugging. "These are ancient martial arts fighting techniques. We sure didn't invent them!"

"Okay, Bird-boy," Speedy said, coldly. "No more Mister Nice Guy! You'd better put up your dukes!"

Wonder Girl looked at Speedy as if seeing him for the first time. Robin allowed himself a small half-smile.

"Speedy! Just the guy I wanted to see!" Robin began.

"Speedy, is there something the matter?" Wonder Girl asked.

"No problem, WG! That is, no problem as soon as I clean the room with this wiseguy!"

"Clean the room?" she asked puzzled. Wonder Girl still became confused at times with the language idioms she encountered. "Why would you want to do that? The room is already clean."

"I think Speedy meant he was ready for his training session, didn't you Speedy?" Robin asked.

"You bet I am, Bird-boy," he said taking a prizefighter's stance. "Oh, boy! I'm gonna enjoy this!"

* * *

Up on the observation deck, Black Canary suddenly slapped her forehead and shook her head.

"What is it about the Arrow-guys?" she said shaking her head. "Roy, don't be a fool. You'll never take him!"

* * *

"Wonder Girl, why don't you take a seat over there by the exit?" Robin asked. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt during our training session. Don't worry, this shouldn't take long...and then you and I can continue with yours."

The entire time Robin was speaking with Wonder Girl, he kept his back turned to Speedy on purpose, fueling the young archer's anger.

This little punk in the fairy costume was making time with his girl, Speedy fumed. Worse, Robin was putting his hands on her! In Speedy's mind, Robin's only excuse for having a training session with Wonder Girl was so he could move in on her while Speedy wasn't around. He'd show him!

Angry beyond comprehension, Speedy attacked.

As Speedy moved in, Robin kept a running commentary going with Wonder Girl. Keeping his back turned, Robin exploded into action with lightning fast movements, easily countering Speedy's attack from behind.

"As you can see, WG, if a careless assailant tries this rear attack, simply moving like so..." Robin shifted his weight at this moment "...and placing your hands here...and here..." Robin demonstrated calmly, grabbing first a wrist, then an elbow, "...the intended victim can easily turn the tables on his would be mugger!"

In less than a tenth of a second, Speedy was at Robin's feet looking up the junior daredevil.

* * *

"Stay down, Roy," Black Canary muttered, shaking her head. "Don't be stupid, Red. Stay down!"

Wonder Woman smiled at her friend. "Boys will be boys," she said.

* * *

"Of course, a determined assailant will probably not give up at this moment," Robin lectured as if oblivious to the attack. "So you have to be ready for the follow on attack."

Recovering quickly, Speedy kicked out, sweeping his legs under Robin's. However, Robin was already gone. He'd leaped into a single back somersault, avoiding the attack from below.

Landing on cat feet, Robin crouched in a ready position. "The key, Wonder Girl, as in all things, is to have patience. Let the assailant come to you. Let him waste his energy!"

From the sidelines, Wonder Girl nodded her head seriously. Everything Robin said made sense. Speedy sure was being a good sport allowing Robin to use him as a teacher's training aid. And he had the cutest red hair and green eyes.

Robin moved his hands in a slow, mesmerizing defensive pattern, while circling the junior archer as a predator stalks its prey. Speedy opted for a frontal assault and ran headlong towards Robin. Robin simply somersaulted over Speedy's head. Landing softly behind Speedy, Robin thought it was time to put a stop to this.

He was having fun at the junior archer's expense, but enough was enough! The junior bowman was becoming more upset by the second. This was no way to treat a teammate.

"I think that's enough training for the day, Speedy," Robin said quietly. "I've been going at it with Wonder Girl for a while now. I think I could use a break. How about you?"

* * *

Black Canary and Wonder Woman recognized the laurel leaf that Robin was offering. The boy was mature beyond his years; it was obvious that he could easily incapacitate Speedy, but instead was making a peace overture.

"Say yes, Red," Black Canary urged under her breath. "Think with your head and not with your mouth!"

* * *

Speedy turned to face the younger boy. He was slightly taller and heavier than Robin. Speedy couldn't believe the kid's moves! No way was he going to let Bat- boy win this round. Speedy shook his head.

"Uh-uh, Bird-boy! Round one goes to you, because we were doing it your way! What say we do round two my way?" With that Speedy deliberately brought his bow up to bear and cocked a trick arrow. With slow anticipation, he aimed squarely at Robin.

Wonder Girl sensing something was wrong cried out. "Speedy! What are you doing? You'll hurt him!"

"No, I won't Wonder Doll! None of my arrows are designed to kill or injure." Speedy reassured her. Then added in low tones so that only Robin could hear him. "Just temporarily clip your wings, and give you one hell of a headache, eh, Bat-boy?"

Robin immediately assumed a Kenpo defensive posture; he neither spoke nor showed any other response. This was no longer a game. His position had suddenly become untenable. Speedy's accuracy and speed with the bow were second only Green Arrow's. The Flashes might be the fastest man and boy and alive, but the Arrows were the fastest and best archers alive.

Drawing from a deep reserve of inner strength, Robin waited calmly for the inevitable release.

As he waited, Robin said to himself, "Release, fly, block...Release, fly, block..."

In the next instant, Speedy released his bow. His arrow flew true to its mark, Robin's center of mass. As he released, Speedy saw Robin crouch, his left shoulder slightly tucked, his right hand looking like he was pulling one of his sleight of hands. Speedy immediately pulled another arrow from his quiver, and was just about to cock it, when...His eyes grew wide in disbelief.

* * *

Black Canary and Wonder Woman both held their breaths. Black Canary couldn't believe Speedy's recklessness. When I get my hands on you, she thought darkly!

* * *

Almost faster than the eye could follow, Robin brought his left arm up to a blocking motion, unbelievably deflecting the arrow from its course. Simultaneously, he threw two batarangs, one right after the other. The first struck Speedy's shooting wrist, numbing it instantly and causing him to drop his bow. The second missed him! or so Speedy thought.

The whirring sound of the returning batarang told him otherwise. It quickly started looping around him, tying him up with what appeared to be a heavily weighted nylon rope.

* * *

Black Canary and Wonder Woman both exhaled explosively. By now, neither was completely surprised by Robin's skill and expert countermove.

"That boy is a first degree black belt at least. Probably higher," Black Canary mused. "And with those acrobatics of his...he's a hell of a formidable opponent, Diana. Hell, I'm not even sure that I could take him at this point! Imagine what he'll be like in a few years, when he's even more experienced!"

* * *

From the sidelines, Wonder Girl applauded.

"Yay! Robin!" she cheered. "I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's fallen into one of your deviously evil traps today!"

Robin didn't say anything in reply. Instead, he walked slowly to where Speedy was angrily spluttering about what he was going to do to him, the object of his still smoldering rage; Robin crouched down next to him.

"That was a nice thing you did, Speedy, helping out with WG's training. Brilliant touch, by the way, bringing in the bow and arrow! Gave me a chance to demonstrate how to deflect a fast approaching object!"

"Can it, Bird-boy," Speedy said angrily. "You and I both know that that isn't why I was fighting you out here...this wasn't a favor for you...I still intend on taking you down! Now let me go!

Robin's face remained inscrutable as he watched Speedy wrestle uselessly with his bonds.

"You know, there's a very nice girl coming over here right now, who thinks this was all in good fun," he said quietly. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want her to find out otherwise." He stood up, still looking down at Speedy. "It's up to you."

Wonder Girl reached them by then. "Aren't you done yet?" she asked anxiously.

Robin looked down at Speedy. "Are we done?"

Reluctantly, Speedy nodded his head, yes. Robin immediately bent down and started untying him.

"Good!" Wonder Girl cried out. "You can still take me to dinner then!"

Robin looked up quickly. What? Dinner? They'd never...He looked down at Speedy. The archer was giving him a knowing smirk.

"Yep, that's right, Bird-boy! Read 'em and weep. You might've won the battle, but I'm winning the campaign!"

"Campaign? Battle?" Wonder Girl asked confused. "What are you talking about Speedy?" When no answer was forthcoming, she looked at Robin. "Robin, what does that mean?"

Robin looked at her quietly for a lingering moment. Wonder Girl was his friend...he knew that and was comfortable with it. He felt a little hurt that she was having dinner with Speedy...and yes, he knew that there was an underlying feeling of jealousy. However, neither she nor he had ever intimated anything closer than just being good friends. And, she obviously preferred Speedy to him.

Robin shrugged his shoulders and gave her an enigmatic half smile, an unconscious imitation of his mentor.

"Nothing, WG. It's just a joke between us. You two have fun!" With that Robin turned to leave the training room. He had to get away. He had to think. As he walked out, he could hear Wonder Girl's bell-like laughter echoing from behind him.

* * *

"I think I'm gonna have to show Red a few self-defense moves," Black Canary said. "Robin could've maimed him without breaking a sweat. Roy doesn't know just how lucky he is." "What did you think of Robin deflecting the arrow?" asked Wonder Woman.

Black Canary shook her head.

"Well, at least now I know why he's called the Boy Wonder!"

* * *

Chapter Three

The impossibly-sized vessel, which last saw its home world's system before the oldest star in the Milky Way Galaxy first sprang to life and long since burned out, began a short-lived firing sequence of its impeller star drives. The ship's Artificial Intelligence adjusted its trajectory and set the ship on its new course.

The ancient vessel's communications systems came online. The ship's AI conducted a self-analysis of the hundreds of commsysts the ship assimilated along its voyage, searching for a unit compatible with the primitive audio/visual system in order to attempt contact. Finding none, the AI went into sleep mode.

An instant later, the AI awoke and the ship began transmitting a complicated numerical string...

* * *

A shy throat being cleared behind him caught the Atom's attention. Standing quietly at the doorway were Robin and Kid Flash.

"We were wondering, sir, if it would be all right for us to check on the status of the anomaly," Robin said.

"Of course, kids," Atom waved them in. "I was just running a new program that cross-checks previous information with new data...see if we can find any new patterns that might've been missed."

Robin smiled inwardly. This was the first time he'd had a chance to speak to the mighty mite. Robin found the Atom's scientific knowledge and jargon somewhat at odds with his pixie size. It was like talking to Tinkerbell with a Ph.D. in physics.

"May we help? Kid Flash here can go through data faster than either of us would be able to...just tell him what to look for."

Atom looked doubtfully at Kid Flash. Unlike his uncle, Barry Allen, the Flash, the younger speedster didn't seem to have a serious scientific bone in his body. The Atom worked closely with the Flash on previous occasions, and while their fields were slightly different, with Palmer's being more theoretical while Allen's geared more towards practical application, they'd made an excellent team.

As if noticing the Atom's reluctance, Robin spoke confidently.

"Sir, the Titans may not have a lot of the experience, knowledge and skills that the regular JLA members do, but we're pretty good at what we do. Twinkletoes here has proven himself on other occasions with being able to solve puzzles and find other obscure patterns that the rest of us might've solved eventually, but which would've taken us a little longer." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not really sure yet why he can do this...I haven't had a chance to run any sort of practical tests or anything...but so far he hasn't let the Titans down."

The Atom nodded and smiled. Robin was good...a real leader who stood up for his team, and he was also a budding diplomat, as well.

"All right, son. Here's what we're looking for..." the Atom began to patiently explain the spectral patterns in the highest and lowest ultra-violet range that they'd been able to spot so far. What he was looking for now was any deviation that either broke from the established pattern, or that formed a new and unexpected pattern on a different position in the light spectrum.

Kid Flash nodded impatiently. While the Atom had been explaining what he was supposed to be looking for, he'd been perusing the printouts at supersonic speed. Before the Atom finished his explanation, Kid Flash broke in.

"You mean like this, sir?" he asked politely. Atom's eyes narrowed. The kid was pulling his leg surely. He took the printout from the young speedster.

"Show me," he ordered shortly. Kid Flash pointed out what to him was the obvious. Atom stood on top of the printout and followed the boy's pointing finger to four...no five...pattern changes. Atom studied the changes closely...yes! A definite change here...and here...and...Atom stopped what he was doing and looked up at the two Titans admiringly.

"Good job, Kid Flash. I think I know someone who'll be impossible to live with for the next few hours when I tell him what you've just done." Atom was smiling as he spoke. "And you, Robin. It takes a good leader to know the abilities of his team. You've both been of tremendous help!"

Kid Flash, looking like his chest was about to burst, was grinning from ear to ear. Robin merely acknowledged the compliment with a nod.

"Is there anything else we can do, sir?" Robin asked. "We'd really like to be of help."

"You sure can. And please, call me Ray," Atom said smiling. Robin dropped his eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said. "I'm not allowed to use first names when I'm on the job. Too dangerous."

Atom nodded in understanding. Batman's young protege was worlds ahead of the other Titans in his total professionalism.

"Well, how about calling me Atom then. This isn't the Armed Forces, kid. You don't have to go around calling us all sir or ma'am!" Robin nodded.

"Yes, sir." He smiled and rolled his eyes, suddenly all boy. "I mean...Atom."

"Hey, now, that's more like it," Atom smiled in return. "Okay, gentlemen, here's what I'd like you to do..."

* * *

"I don't see why you hang out with that little stiff anyway," Roy said. He and Donna had switched to their civilian identities and were having dinner in Green Arrow's assigned JLA quarters. Roy fixed his specialty, spaghetti and meat sauce. With Green Arrow gone so often, sometimes weeks at a time with the JLA, the boy had been forced to learn to cope on his own.

The teen couple had been arguing for about a half-hour now about Donna's friendship with Robin.

"Roy, I don't understand why you dislike Robin so much. He's one of the nicest, most thoughtful boys I know!" Donna looked hurt at Roy's sudden change in character. Their dinner had been going well until she mentioned how much she'd enjoyed her session with the Boy Wonder. Since then all Roy had done was find fault with her friend.

"Oh, yeah? Well, if you like him so much, then why aren't you having dinner with him instead?" Roy jumped up from the dinner table. This wasn't going the way he'd intended. He'd looked forward to getting Donna alone all day, but she'd pushed all the wrong buttons: She'd praised Bat-boy once too often.

"Bird-boy is going to push me too far one day, and when he does--!"

"When he does, then what?" Donna stood too. She'd had just about enough. "What'll you do? Robin is your friend, Roy, whether you'll admit it or not. He's not a stiff, or a twerp, or any of those mean and horrid names you keep calling him! He can't help it if he's serious about what he does. Dick's parents were murdered in front of him when he was only nine--!"

Donna's eyes widened and she immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe what she'd just done! She'd violated Dick's trust! She'd done exactly what he'd said she'd do one day! Donna had given away Dick's secret identity!

Donna started backing away from Roy, shaking her head in denial.

"How could you?" she whispered blaming him for her slip, tears spilling. "I never want to see you again!" With that she turned and ran out of the Arrow quarters. As she flew down the corridor, she passed Black Canary and Green Arrow returning to his quarters.

"Donna!" Black Canary called. Donna ignored her and sped to the quarters she was sharing with her sister. "Now what was that all about?" she said. Green Arrow shook his head.

When they entered GA's quarters they found Roy standing in the middle of the living room looking like he'd just been kicked in the stomach.

"Hey, kid," GA began. "Something happen to upset Donna?" Roy looked at him sadly.

"Yeah, me...and my big, fat mouth," he said in self-disgust.

As they were talking, GA removed his mask and began putting his equipment away. Black Canary likewise removed her blonde wig and instantly shook out her midnight black tresses. As they slowly transformed into their civilian identities of Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance, they each studied the young teen with varying looks of concern.

"Well, don't sweat it, kid," Ollie said. "She'll get over it. Women usually do." He added this last without thinking. Dinah glared icicles at him. "Don't hurt me," he uttered in a small voice and ducked into the bedroom to change.

"Red, would you care to talk about it?" Dinah asked. She liked the junior bowman. During her relationship with Ollie she'd grown quite fond of the boy. She felt like a big sister to him. Ollie's rather unorthodox method of raising the boy had been cause for concern on several occasions. It was one thing to have Roy partner with him as Speedy; it was entirely different not to set boundaries. Dinah's mother used to say that all children needed rules, especially those children who believed themselves too old for rules. In truth, it made them feel loved and protected.

Dinah couldn't imagine Batman not setting strict limits for Robin either in their crime-fighting identities or in their civilian identities, whatever those might be.

Roy looked at her deeply ashamed and shook his head.

"No, Dinah, thanks," he said in a low voice. "I have to handle this on my own." He began to walk out of their quarters. "Don't wait up for me."

Dinah stared at the closed door long after Roy left.

* * *

Atom sat on Robin's shoulder his legs crossed casually as the Boy Wonder studied the readouts closely. Once Kid Flash had found the pattern, Robin started looking for any other markers or other indicators that could help the JLA accurately analyze whatever the thing was out there. As Robin studied the readout, the Atom studied Robin.

The kid dug out a magnifier from somewhere in that utility belt of his and immediately settled down to doing what he did best--painstaking detective work. Atom shook his head admiringly.

"I wish some of my doctoral candidates were as dedicated as you, Robin." Robin turned to face the littlest Justice Leaguer. From his vantage point, it was easy for the Atom to see the boy's facial muscles struggle to maintain their serious demeanor. Finally, Robin's underlying boyishness broke through and Atom was rewarded with a genuine smile.

"Batman says that ninety-nine percent of all detective work is meticulous attention to detail. It's not a lifestyle for the impatient." Robin jerked his head surreptitiously in the direction of Kid Flash who was finding it impossible to sit still for longer than a nanosecond. Atom and Robin shared a secret smile.

The kid's all right, thought Atom. There's a real little boy underneath that mask of his. I wonder what he's like when he really let's go?

"Hey! Stop the presses!" Robin muttered. "Atom! Look here, sir!" Atom jumped off Robin's shoulder and landed softly on the readout. He walked over to the area that Robin was studying so closely.

"What is it, son?" Atom asked crouching down on the paper. "What have you found?"

"I'm not sure, sir, but I think I've found a definite pattern that we hadn't seen before." Robin gave Atom a pensive look, chewing his lower lip in concentration. "Look here...and here...and here..." Atom looked at the different places on the printout that Robin indicated. Finally, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, son, I don't see what you're talking about," he admitted reluctantly.

"Yeah, Robbie," Kid Flash piped in. He'd sidled up to Robin's other side when the Boy Wonder first called out that he'd found something.

"I know it's hard to notice, sir. I'm not exactly sure if it's even a pattern, but look..." Robin glanced around and quickly found a yellow highlighter. He then took out a small ball of twine from his utility belt. Atom's eyebrow went up when he saw the twine, but he didn't comment.

Robin fed out about a meter length of twine; he then tied the marker to one end. Highlighting several points with his orange marker, Robin then began an elaborate game of connect the dots. Placing one end of the twine on a single point, Robin held it down with his thumb and then placed the highlighter on the next nearest point. Winding the twine until there was no give, Robin then drew a circle around his thumb.

Robin paid out a little bit more of the twine until his marker could reach the next point on the printout. As soon as he could reach the next point, Robin drew another circle. At first Atom couldn't understand what Robin was doing. The young crime-fighter appeared to be drawing concentric circles around one single point. Atom shook his head.

"What are you doing, Robin?" Atom asked curiously. "It looks almost like you're drawing a bullseye?"

"I can't be certain, sir, since it doesn't appear to be to scale, but it looks like this could be a representation of the solar system. See, the center bullseye is the sun, and each of the other nine points represents a different planet. This clear area here..." Robin pointed with his highlighter, "...could be a possible trajectory coming straight to Earth." He followed the path to the third point from the center bullseye. Robin shrugged sheepishly.

"I guess it's kinda silly, Atom," Robin said apologetically. "I'm sorry if I'm wasting your time."

Atom waved his arm distractedly. His keen analytical mind was evaluating the possible interpretation that Robin had just given him. If this was a representation of the solar system, and that was indeed a trajectory, directly in line with Earth, then there was the very real possibility that this was indeed an invasion.

"Kid Flash, get your uncle in here ASAP! Robin, good job! I need to get this data inputted into the JLA's main computer as quickly as--"

"--As a Flash?" Atom and Robin turned to the twin scarlet blurs that zipped in simultaneously.

"Barry, just the man I need to see. This data that Robin has just uncovered. I need this programmed into the computer's CAD program. I need a three- dimensional virtual representation of this." He pointed to the printout and Robin's yellow circles.

"If you need a fast typist, I'm the man for the job," the Flash said. "But I'm afraid that computer programming is a little outside my area of expertise. I mean, I'm getting better at doing online searches and all that minor league stuff, but I'm no programmer."

"Uncle Barry," Kid Flash began.

"Yes, what is it, champ?" the Flash looked fondly at his nephew.

"Robin's pretty good with computers," Kid Flash looked at Robin. "Aren't you?"

Robin shook his head.

"I've been learning a few of the programming languages, but something like this..." Robin shook his head. "It's still a little out of my league, too, sir." Robin paused. "But I think I know someone who might be able to help...someone who's pretty good with computers."

* * *

When approached by the Atom on the new twist in their investigation, Batman immediately sat down at the main terminal and started writing the necessary program to construct a three-dimensional holo-representation of the data that Robin discovered. As soon as he finished writing the program, Batman called Robin over and together they began inputting the data.

The Dynamic Duo worked smoothly together, oblivious to the others gathered in the control room around them. Robin read out the figures, and Batman immediately input them into the JLA supercomputers' immense memory banks.

"That's all there is," Robin said. Batman nodded and continued working without saying a word. Robin stood to Batman's right and slightly behind him; his left hand was resting comfortably on the back of Batman's headrest, his right behind his back. The two looked completely at ease working together. The boy would on occasion point something out on the screen, and Batman would nod his head in acknowledgement.

"Even when the boy's relaxed, he's not," Atom said in an undertone to Green Lantern. GL nodded his head in agreement.

And what an odd way to raise a child, Atom added disapprovingly. He looked around the room, surreptitiously studying all of the mentors with their junior sidekicks. What kind of childhood must these kids have, to know that their lives are constantly in danger?

Atom thought about his relationship with Jean Loring, a young up-and-coming lawyer, whom he'd met while he was still an undergraduate. He'd been planning on asking her to marry him as soon as his department granted him full tenure. That was two years ago, and he still hadn't asked her. Since becoming the Atom, he just didn't think it fair to share that kind of lifestyle with another person, let alone a wife and possibly children later.

Yet here, Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman all had partners who were little more than children. He shook his head unable to articulate the feelings inside him. At least Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Wonder Girl were all super-powered beings, but Robin and Speedy were just two boys with exceptional skills. Skills which up to now had served them well, but what if something happened in the unforeseeable future? How would Batman or Green Arrow react if either of their junior sidekicks was ever injured or worse?

Movement from the Caped Crusaders caught his attention. Unbelievably, Batman reached over and shook Robin's hand.

"Good work, partner," he said. Robin looked like he'd suddenly grown an extra inch. They held the tableau for about another two seconds, then both dropped their hands, and whatever real affection they'd shown momentarily was quickly masked again. Batman spun around in his chair. "Atom."

Batman stood and moved aside. No, "We're finished! Come and look! We've saved the universe!"

Instead, Batman moved over without saying anything further. Robin walked over and stood next to him. Both had their arms crossed in identical poses. Both had inscrutable expressions.

Atom suppressed a smile. It wouldn't do to tell Batman that he and Robin looked "cute" together...Atom didn't want to die before his time.

He found an air current and glided easily towards the terminal. "Barry!" he called. The Flash joined him instantly. Together, the two scientists studied the data before them. "Clark!" Superman flew over, his toes just barely clearing the floor by a few millimeters.

Robin watched, round eyed.

"Whoa...!" he whispered. He immediately tugged on Batman's cape. "Did you see that? He didn't even walk!" Robin kept his voice barely above a whisper.

"Robin," Batman chastised his excited partner, "super-hearing is included among Superman's many talents. Whispering is a waste of time." Robin's mouth formed a silent O! He felt his cheeks burning again. When would he learn to keep his big mouth shut?

Superman turned at this moment and gave the boy a friendly wink and a thumb's up.

"You did an outstanding job, Robin. Your detective skills may have given us the answer to our earlier questions about this spatial anomaly."

Robin's momentary discomfort was instantly forgotten. He looked over to where Wonder Girl was standing next to Wonder Woman. She noticed him watching her and gave him a tentative smile, but Robin saw immediately that something was wrong. His eyes narrowed in concern.

He looked up at Batman.

"Sir, may I be excused for a minute?" Batman placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked into his eyes. He gave Robin a curt nod. Robin looked over at Wonder Girl and jerked his head subtly indicating that he wanted her to follow him. She gave a small nod that said she understood, and as soon as Robin was out the door, she slipped outside too.

* * *

"Do you hate me terribly?" Wonder Girl asked in a small voice.

Robin had turned his back to her in anger. How could she have betrayed his trust? And to that idiot, Speedy, of all people! Why not to Aqualad? At least the Atlantean teen didn't hate his guts! Even Kid Flash would've been preferable. The young speedster was a bit immature, but he had a good heart, and Robin already felt that they were going to be good friends.

Robin sighed and shook his head. He turned around and faced his friend.

"Of course, I don't hate you, Donna," he said. With a cry she shot up from where she'd been sitting in a little ball on the lounge chair and flew into his arms. Stunned, Dick just stood there while she hugged his neck...incredibly...hard!

"D-Donna...y-you're hurting me..." Robin managed to choke out. Wonder Girl immediately let go. Dick fell to his knees, the deck spinning underneath him.

"Oh! Dick, I'm so sorry!" Wonder Girl apologized, her hands over her mouth in shame. "I keep forgetting just how fragile mortals truly are! Mother and Diana keep pounding it into me to mind my strength whenever I visit Man's world!"

Robin rubbed his neck ruefully. He stood up carefully, somehow managing to keep his balance.

"Uh-huh. I'm okay, Donna...really." He sat down on the couch and indicated that she join him. She sat down. Her eyes were downcast over everything she'd done wrong.

"Look, Donna, what you did...blurting out my secret identity to Speedy when you were upset. That's the kind of thing I've been warning you about all of this time. That's why I keep insisting that you call me Robin when I'm in costume."

"But Dick...I mean, Robin. It's silly to keep your identity secret with the rest of the Teen Titans! We're your friends! We work together!"

Robin nodded his head, but held his hands out for quiet.

"Okay, you have a point there, and maybe I even agree with you on this issue. However, it isn't your decision to make! Nor is it mine. At least not mine to make alone! Batman has to be in agreement, and somehow I don't think he's ready to agree that a bunch of kids that he doesn't think could, and I quote, lead themselves out of a paper sack, unquote, should be trusted with our secret identities."

Wonder Girl's eyes dropped in shame. Robin saw a lone tear trail down her cheek to her chin.

Robin gently took Wonder Girl's chin in his hand.

"Hey, now, none of that. Please don't cry, WG. I know that what you did was an accident, and I'd love to punch Harper's teeth out for making you cry the way he did, but what's done is done. You know that I don't blame you and that I can't stay mad at you. I just hope that underneath that arrogant exterior of Speedy's lies a man of honor and that he won't use my secret against me or Batman."

"Oh, Dick he wouldn't!" Wonder Girl exclaimed, holding his hand in hers. "I just know that he wouldn't! Roy is a man of honor! He is! I just know it!"

Robin gave his friend a half-smile of amusement.

"If Harper can get this much support from you, WG, then I guess there must be more to the guy than bluster. Okay...I'll talk to him, maybe smooth out the rough waters. But you know I'm only doing it for you, because you're my friend."

Wonder Girl nodded her head trustingly. On impulse, she reached over to kiss Robin on the cheek. Robin chose this moment to tilt his head slightly, and the kiss that she'd intended to place on his cheek, landed on his lips instead. Confused, the two youngsters immediately jumped apart as if electrified. Robin got up and put as much distance between himself and Wonder Girl as he could. Wonder Girl likewise moved in the opposite direction.

She felt tears beginning to threaten again. What was the matter with her? She liked Roy, she told herself. Roy Harper was all she'd thought about and dreamed about since their first meeting several months ago! She loved Dick Grayson like a brother. Amazons didn't have brothers for obvious reasons, and Dick had filled the void almost from the beginning.

Robin didn't know what to think. He'd been Wonder Girl's friend almost from the start. While the other male members of the Titans had been doing cartwheels to gain the young Amazon's attention all those months ago when they'd first formed their group, Robin pledged that he'd never do anything that could even be construed as silly or inappropriate. He was the leader, and he was going to lead by example.

Wonder Girl was a friend and a colleague. He felt that it was his duty to treat her as such, and to protect her from any unwanted attention. He suddenly closed his cape around him, a nervous habit he'd picked up recently. It was as if he was symbolically sealing himself off from the rest of the world. Perhaps it was an outer manifestation of the walls he'd built around himself, almost a self- defense. Thank you, Doctor Freud, he thought sardonically.

"Dick." The small voice behind him made him jump. He gave no outer indication, however, except perhaps a slight tension between his shoulders. "Dick, please, turn around."

Robin slowly turned to face Wonder Girl.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "It seems that all I'm going to do is apologize to you." She looked at him with sad eyes that stabbed at his heart. "If you never want to speak to me again, I'll understand."

Robin swallowed, then forced himself to smile.

"Please don't apologize again, Donna," Robin smiled sadly. "There aren't too many guys lucky enough on the whole planet who can say that they've been kissed by you!" He reached over with one hand and cupped her face again. "I know how you feel about Roy, and while I can't see the attraction..." he shrugged. "It's okay with me. You know that."

Wonder Girl smiled her thanks. Robin turned to go. A tentative hand on his arm held him back.

"Dick, if we don't...You know--?" Both youngsters dropped their eyes in embarrassment. "We'll always wonder..."

Robin nodded. He looked into her eyes for a long time, then looked away, momentarily at a loss for what to do next. Finally, he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Donna, I've never kissed a girl before! I'm not even sure how it's done!" He looked suddenly boyishly helpless. Wonder Girl smiled impishly.

"I think I can help you in this department, Boy Wonder!"

Wonder Girl suddenly stepped closer to him. Taking his arms, she carefully arranged them around her slender waist. Robin stood a bit awkwardly. He felt his whole body flushing. He'd never stood this closely to a girl before. He felt himself backing up inadvertently. Wonder Girl shook her finger at him and grabbed him by the neck clasp of his cape.

"Oh, no you don't, Dick Grayson," she whispered fiercely. "This is one hands on experiment that you are going to carry out to the end!"

With that, Wonder Girl wrapped her arms gently around Robin's neck, mindful not to squeeze too hard and hurt him. Standing toe to toe, nose to nose, the two teens closed their eyes and slowly, shyly moved towards each other. When their lips finally met, neither breathed for a few seconds, then almost instinctively Wonder Girl opened her lips slightly and Robin tentatively tasted her mouth with his tongue.

Robin felt the back of his knees suddenly begin to give way. He couldn't remember how to breathe. His stomach felt like it had butterflies or something else fluttering around inside. Eventually, they broke apart and came up for air.

"I...I think that I better sit down, Donna...I don't feel so good all of a sudden," Robin said weakly and collapsed. Wonder Girl's knees also gave way and she collapsed next to him. Suddenly she started to snigger. Robin looked over at her, and catching her eye, he began to snicker too. Before long, the two youngsters had folded into helpless giggles, sounding like children much younger in age.

Eventually, they ended up lying on their backs clutching their respective stomachs. Their heads were side by side but upside down. Robin was lying on the couch his feet going in one direction, while Wonder Girl's were pointing towards the opposite end. Finally, managing some semblance of control over their laughter, they turned to face each other. They immediately looked away and broke into more silly laughter.

"I guess now we know, huh?" Robin sputtered between chortles. Wonder Girl nodded her head, then she too burst into more helpless chuckles.

"I guess we do!" she managed.

Wiping his eyes, Robin finally stood to go.

Turning, he faced Wonder Girl again and becoming suddenly serious, he held his hand out to her. Pulling her up to him, he kissed her once more, this time without hesitation. When they finally pulled apart, Robin drew back slightly and studied her face as if for the first time. On sudden impulse he gently reached behind her and released her ponytail.

He watched mesmerized as Wonder Girl's lovely long, sable hair fell in shimmering waves, down past her shoulders and to the middle of her back. Robin gazed wonderingly on his beautiful friend, then ran his hand through her hair once. He gently traced his finger up the slender curve of her neck to her chin. Smiling, he followed her jaw line up her cheek to the center of her forehead and down the bridge of her nose.

He then playfully kissed the tip of her nose, and held her a little longer, their foreheads and noses touching, blue eyes gazing longingly into blue eyes. Finally, sighing deeply, the two dark heads separated, and the two friends stood a safe distance apart from each other. Robin looked at Wonder Girl regretfully.

"If you ever change your mind and decide to dump the jerk, you know where to find me." He then gave her his best daredevil smile and walked out.

Wonder Girl immediately fell back onto the couch with a loud un-ladylike whoosh of air exploding from her lips.

She knew she'd just been kissed!

* * *

Hours later, Dick sat on his bed his legs crossed, his chin in his hand. He was in his pajamas, his Robin costume tossed carelessly on the back of his desk chair. His literature textbook was open to the reading assignment that his teacher had given him in advance.

Alfred had escorted Dick to school and explained to the Chancellor of Gotham City Boys' Preparatory, that his employer Mister Wayne and his young ward had to leave the country on a sudden family emergency. Therefore, Master Richard needed his school assignments for the next three weeks, Alfred punctiliously explained.

Dick remembered going to each of his teachers and receiving his assignments for the next few weeks. Most of his teachers didn't bat an eye. The majority of the boys attending GC Prep came from Gotham's wealthiest families. Many pulled their sons out at moment's notice to vacation in other parts of the globe; therefore, leaving for an extended period of time was hardly considered unusual.

Dick tried to read his literature assignment but his mind kept wandering to a pair of wide, clear blue eyes. He sighed. "Forget it, Grayson," he muttered. "Donna likes Roy and that's that!" Dick turned determinedly back to the assignment, a poem. He groaned. He hated poetry. Worse, it was a sonnet by Shakespeare. He read the first line out loud.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?...Thou art more temperate..."

Dick sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Thou art more temperate..." he repeated, muttering to himself. He read the entire sonnet silently, then reread it aloud. Giving up, Dick suddenly fell backwards on his bed. He covered his face with his arms. "ARGH! I hate poetry!" he yelled.

"Now why is that, chum?" Dick immediately sat up and looked at his guardian guiltily. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't understand it! Too many thees and thous! It's stupid, going around comparing people to a summer's day anyway. Who does dumb stuff like that?"

Bruce gave his ward a small half smile and sat down on the bed next to him. He reached for the literature textbook.

"Ah, 'Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?' by William Shakespeare. One of my personal favorites," Bruce said.

"Huh? You like this stuff?" Dick asked incredulously. "The guy's been dead for almost five hundred years!" Bruce's eyes smiled slightly, amused at his young ward's outrage that he had to read anything so old!

"William Shakespeare wrote some of the finest lines in English Literature, chum. He may be dead, but he isn't quite down, yet! Besides, you know that you never judge a book by its cover, or literature by how old it is!"

"I know, sir, it's just that..." Dick couldn't continue.

"Just what, Dick? Is something else bothering you, chum?" Bruce asked gently drawing out his ward. Dick nodded reluctantly.

"Bruce, please don't be mad..." Dick began, then stopped. Bruce's eyebrow went up at the preamble. Dick dropped his eyes and traced his literature book nervously. Getting his emotions under control, he finally managed to tell Bruce about Donna's letting his secret identity slip.

"So now Roy knows that my name's Dick and that my parents were murdered in front of me. Bruce, Donna feels really really awful about the whole thing! I mean she was crying and everything! I felt really guilty that I got mad at her and...and..."

His voice dropped to the barest whisper. Dick studied the weave on his bedspread with intense interest, unable to meet Bruce's eyes.

"I...kissed her..." Dick looked up horrified. "But it was an accident. Honest! I didn't mean to at first. I moved my head, and she was just suddenly there! Kissing me!"

Stunned, Bruce studied his little boy closely. Dick's voice hadn't even started to change yet. He still had the same bright blue eyes that always seemed to make Bruce's heart catch in his throat.

My God, Dick just barely turned thirteen on his last birthday, Bruce thought wonderingly. Girls? So soon? Bruce wasn't sure that he was up to the task of where this discussion was leading. This was more Alfred's line of work.

"Anyway, I was going to leave the room, but, well, I didn't." Dick shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we...Donna and me...we wanted to see..." He stopped and looked at Bruce.

"Go on, chum," Bruce said. "You wanted to see...what?" Dick shrugged his shoulders. Finally, finding the courage to go on, he reported what transpired as straightforwardly as if he were giving a review of evidence uncovered.

Bruce found himself struggling to keep a straight face. The little rascal...and with sweet, little Donna no less! Apparently all of the Titans boys had been trying to get her alone for quite some time and Dick had done everything in his power to protect her from the young wolves. Eventually, Donna decided that she was interested in Roy's overtures and the two teens had started "dating" of sorts. Mostly handholding and sitting together and having their meals together.

However, whatever brotherly or sisterly feelings Dick and Donna felt for each other, they were nevertheless confused by other feelings as well. They were both certainly at an age where awareness of the opposite sex was suddenly and inexplicably awakened in a child. Working so closely as Titans had probably added to their inner turmoil. It was one thing to have a long-distance friendship where they corresponded as best they could. It was quite another to be suddenly thrust into danger together!

Bruce released a long breath.

"Dick, I'm not sure what I can to do help you with your feelings about Donna. That's something that you and she will have to iron out on your own. Just remember that you two aren't the only people involved, though. So you know that you have to act like a gentleman the entire time, right?"

Dick looked up shocked when understanding of what Bruce was implying finally dawned on him.

"Bruce, I would never--! Donna's my best friend! I could never do anything to hurt her! She's the first girl I've ever kissed! That was the first time...honest!" Dick's expression pleaded to be believed. Bruce held up his hands.

"I believe you, chum. Don't worry about that. But it's my responsibility to have this little talk with you. God knows I wish we could put it off until you were thirty instead of thirteen! And certainly not when the Earth may be facing certain annihilation! But I guess Mother Nature isn't known for picking her battles at a time that's convenient for parents."

Reaching his arm across the bed, he pulled Dick over to him.

"C'mere, chum. Let's have a little talk..."

* * *

"And you say that you kissed him by accident?" Diana looked at her younger sister skeptically. Donna nodded vigorously.

"Honest! It was an accident the first time..." her voice dropped.

"The first time?" Diana asked. "You mean there was a second time?"

Donna nodded guiltily. Diana sat down next to her little sister and putting her arm around her settled down for a long talk.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Diana's voice was quiet and nonjudgmental. Donna looked down at her clasped hands, unable to meet her sister's eyes. How could Donna explain her behavior to Diana, when she couldn't explain it to herself? Donna shrugged helplessly, and unbidden, the tears began to spill again. With a wordless sob, Donna threw her arms around Diana and cried brokenheartedly.

"Oh, sister! I don't know what to do! I'm so mixed up inside. Dick's the last person in the world whom I would wish to hurt!"

Diana hugged her little sister closely, allowing Donna to cry her tears out of her system. When it seemed that the storm had finally passed, Diana spoke in soft soothing tones.

"There now, little one. The world will not come to an end because you're in love. Donna, you are of Man's World...that is why our mother allows you to travel with me and visit. You must learn its ways, because one day, if you wish, you will return permanently and make a home for yourself here." Diana held Donna at arms' length. "Paradise Island will always be your home, but mother knows that it would be wrong of us to force you to remain there."

Diana affectionately caressed her younger sister's face. "Unfortunately, one of the lessons to be learned is that love is sometimes very painful." At Donna's sad look, Diana's eyes smiled gently. "When one thinks with this--" Diana pointed at Donna's heart, "--and not with this--" Diana pointed at Donna's head, "--the choices one makes are based solely on one's feelings and passions...and not tempered by reason. One is bound to make mistakes and come face to face with hurt and confusion."

Diana gave her younger sister a knowing grin. "I need not remind you of mother's rash experience with Heracles, do I?"

Donna emphatically shook her head, no. Queen Hyppolyta's disastrous love affair with the famed demigod ended with the enslavement of her people. Eventually, the queen and a few of her loyal subjects managed to make good their escape, and arriving on Paradise Island swore to forsake Man's World for all eternity. Today no man could set foot on Paradise Island lest the Amazons fall once more into enslavement.

"But I love Roy!" Donna cried. "I can't help myself, dear sister. I can't! Sometimes, when I catch him looking at me, I feel like...like time has suddenly stopped...! And, oh, Diana! I can't breathe! And my chest feels like it will surely burst!" Donna looked helplessly at Diana, her struggle for words to explain her feelings bringing her to the verge of tears again.

"Oh, sister...I don't know why I feel this way with Roy and not with Dick! I love Dick! You know I do! He makes me feel safe and secure. I can speak freely about anything with him, and I know that he won't pass judgement or laugh at me or become angry! With Dick I feel warm and happy at the same time...like when I'm with you or mother."

Donna placed her head on Diana' shoulder, at a loss over the difference in how she felt for Roy and Dick. "When Dick and I kissed for the second time, I thought that I'd lost use of my senses. I never knew you could feel like that just because your lips touched another's...and when his tongue touched mine, I thought my world had exploded!"

At this last, Donna's face was burning hot. To speak of such an intimate detail, even with her sister was almost more than her sensibilities would allow; however, she was desperate to talk to someone of how she'd felt when she and Dick kissed, and of how she felt now.

Donna looked carefully away from her sister while she spoke, but now she dared to take a tentative peek to see how Diana was taking it. To Donna's amazement, Diana's face didn't register the least bit of shock at her behavior. Instead, her older sister was looking at her with loving understanding.

"If this is how you responded when you and Dick kissed, Donna, then I don't understand your earlier assessment of your feelings for him. Surely, this reaction shows that your feelings for Dick run much deeper than you believe."

Donna shook her head, no. "No, sister, it isn't like that, at all. Dick and I kissed because we knew that if we didn't, we'd always be curious about what it would have been like. We found out. It would be so easy to throw caution to the wind and change our relationship, purely based on that one kiss and our mutual reaction. But in the end, I believe that it would be wrong for us to do so."

Donna stopped for a second and smiled, eyes shining. "What makes our relationship so special is that we love each other as friends, not as would-be lovers. Dick is like a brother to me, Diana. I love him surely the same as I love you...I do not wish to lose that love by complicating it with something else. I believe that romance would destroy that special bond which he and I share."

Diana looked long and hard at her little sister, wondering where she could possibly be picking up such complicated notions, which could only lead to further hurt and confusion.

"I see...but how does Dick feel?"

Donna's eyes widened. She'd obviously not given any consideration to Dick's feelings. Maybe he didn't just love her like a sister...maybe...but no! Dick had never given any indication that his feelings for her might go deeper. And yet...his kiss had almost stopped the universe from expanding on its infinite journey to oblivion. And his closing words echoed in her mind...

"If you ever change your mind and decide to dump the jerk, you know where to find me."

No! Donna shook her head adamantly! Her world would not be shaken from its chosen path...Dick was her steady beacon in a world gone mad. He was the guiding light that would never falter...the brother she'd always longed for, the knight to protect her from the perils of Man's World. To ask for his love as well would be an act of pure selfishness, especially when she knew that her heart belonged to Roy.

Diana's heart ached for her younger sister. "Donna, such conflicting emotions in one so young as you will only lead to heartache," Diana sighed, then added fatalistically, "but such is the way the of the heart. Little sister, you are but a child in the throes of first love. You shall find your journey of self- discovery full of new and wondrous vistas."

Diana smiled at Donna's eager smile over her words. Diana tenderly ran her hand through Donna's long sable locks of hair, an unconscious imitation of her mother's mannerism when speaking to the youngest Amazon. Diana's eyes grew sad, as she thought about the pain ahead. Her next words were a warning.

"Your love for Roy Harper today is new and fresh, and you shall see the world through new eyes. But you are still so young. My dear, sweet little sister, there will be others whom you will love in the course of your life...and I promise you that each one will seem just as new and fresh as the one before. And then one day, you will find the one true love with whom you were meant to be." Diana smiled into her sister's eyes.

"Until, then little one, your ability to love will be sorely tested by forces seemingly strewn upon your path to disrupt these first tentative steps towards true love. Only the strongest and bravest of us can survive such a battering. But always remember that the reward at journey's end shall be worth the pain experienced on the way."

Diana didn't know if she could bear to stand idly by and watch the heartbreak that she foresaw befalling her beloved younger sister, for Diana knew that by choosing Roy over Dick, Donna's heart had elected to love the one whom reason warned against.

* * *

Chapter Four

The Titan-sized vessel's impeller star drives automatically shutdown once forward sensors indicated that the ship was now entering the spiral galaxy's gravity well. The vessel allowed itself to free fall through the galaxy's outer regions comprised of an invisible spherical halo of nonbaryonic dark matter...

* * *

"Whoa! What do we have here?" Atom muttered. The Flash zipped to Atom's side. The two scientists were closely studying the real-time readouts on their screens. The new program that Batman had written was already showing some sobering information.

"What? What do we have?" the Flash asked.

"I'm not sure, Barry, but it looks like 'someone's coming for dinner!'"

"Ray, I wish you wouldn't put things that way!" the Flash complained.

Atom and the Flash exchanged uneasy glances. Whatever that thing out there was, it had just entered the extreme outer edge of the third spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Orion Arm. The same spiral arm in which the Sol system was located!

"Come on, my friend," Atom said quietly. "We'd best inform the others."

* * *

The following morning, Roy sat alone in the small cafeteria, his demeanor signaling all to stay away. The other heroes gave him curious glances, but most automatically honored his unspoken request. Black Canary and Green Arrow exchanged worried looks. Speedy didn't return to their quarters the previous evening, and neither knew where he'd spent the night.

"Ollie, you can't let this continue without comment," Black Canary said softly. She suddenly kicked him under the table. "Ollie! Are you paying attention?" Green Arrow winced at the sudden sharp pain on shins.

"Oww-w!" he howled helplessly. "You're always hurting me!" He whimpered in a little boy voice. Black Canary struggled to keep from bursting into laughter.

"You always do this!" Black Canary said in exasperation. "You always somehow manage to turn a serious situation into a Looney Tunes moment. Don't you have a single serious bone in your body?" Her tone became solemn.

"Ollie, Roy's hurting inside. You've got to do something! Please? Talk to him?"

Green Arrow's eyes studied her pensively for a few moments, then looked awkwardly away.

"Dinah, you know I'm no good at this father/son stuff. Roy's a big boy. If there's something he can't handle, then he'll--"

A movement to their right caught their attention. Robin was approaching Speedy tentatively. Black Canary noticed that the Boy Wonder had a tray with double helpings of everything. She smiled to herself. Robin was making a peace offering...again!

"Hi. May I join you?" Robin asked. Not waiting for a negative response, he sat down. Speedy glared at him. Robin ignored the angry stare and began evenly distributing the JLA Breakfast of Super-Heroes between the two of them.

"I didn't know if you preferred milk or orange juice so I got both," Robin said.

As Robin spoke he began to eat his scrambled eggs and pancakes. They were no where near as good as Alfred's, but he was starving.

"Go on! It's not the best breakfast I've tasted, but it won't kill you!"

Speedy deliberately pushed his plate aside. He stared at Robin as if daring him to say anything. Robin kept on eating. Dropping his voice, so that only Speedy would hear him, Robin kept on talking in a friendly fashion, as if he and the sulky youngster sitting across from him shared a breakfast every morning.

"I remember the pancakes Mom used to make on Saturday mornings! They were the best. It's funny 'cause I was the only one allowed to eat 'em on account of me being the smallest. Dad wouldn't let Mom eat anything that could make her gain weight before a Saturday matinee."

Robin face smiled behind his mask.

"He used to say that he'd be--" Robin lowered his voice even further looking around quickly to see if he was being overheard and continued. "--well, damned." He looked around again, then explained succinctly. "Batman doesn't approve of swearing."

Robin gave Speedy a boyish grin as if he'd just shared something of great profoundness.

"Anyway, Dad wouldn't let Mom eat anything that could 'cause her to gain any weight. He didn't want to catch an additional five to ten pounds during the performance." Robin grinned in remembered amusement.

"Performance? Matinee?" Speedy looked at Robin confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, didn't Donna tell you?" Robin asked innocently. "She told me that she accidentally told you my secret identity. I just assumed that she'd told you everything."

"Look, Robin or Dick or whatever your name is. Donna didn't tell me anything! See? Nothing!" Speedy spoke in low angry tones. While he spoke he jabbed his index finger in the air between himself and the Boy Wonder.

"Oh, I guess I misunderstood her then, when she told me--quote--Robin I told Speedy your secret identity by accident. We were having an argument, and I just blurted it out--unquote." Robin matched Speedy's glare for glare. "Look you little twerp!" Speedy said sharply. The others in the cafeteria turned in shock. "Let's go somewhere where we can talk," he said. Robin nodded curtly.

As the two rival teens walked out, Kid Flash turned to Aqualad.

"Oh boy! A fight! Let's go, Gillhead!" Kid Flash quickly got up to follow.

Aqualad looked concerned.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why would Robin and Speedy fight? They're friends."

"Because Speedy's a jerk, that's why, and Robin's going to show him what's what!" Kid Flash explained.

Aqualad stubbornly stayed put and glared at Kid Flash.

"I suppose you truly believe that that vague and purposely obscure statement clarified the situation."

It was the junior speedster's turn to look confused.

"Huh? Hey, don't they speak English where you come from, Fish head?"

"Why would we speak a land dweller's language?" Aqualad asked reasonably. "We are Atlanteans. Underwater we communicate telepathically. This need to vocalize everything that we must communicate is most tiresome. At times, it becomes difficult to remember the exact sound levels we must project in order for your auditory nerves to receive them."

"You mean you can read minds?" Kid Flash asked nervously.

"No, no," Aqualad reassured the scarlet speedster. "It isn't like that. We Atlanteans communicate telepathically with each other. We can only do so with other telepaths, and then it is limited. For example, I cannot go into Aquaman's mind to see what he is thinking; that is his private domain. I can only listen to what he transmits to me. Much like you cannot know what I intend to say, until I say it!"

"How do you know that?" Kid Flash asked suspiciously. Aqualad stared at him for a second, then rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Let's go," he said shaking his head. "Before Robin and Speedy hurt one another."

As the two teens left the cafeteria another couple were discussing Robin and Speedy's angry departure.

"Ollie, if you don't do something to get the bottom of this, then I will!" Black Canary threatened.

"Dinah, honey, why do you want to get involved in some teenage rivalry between Speedy and Robin? Roy's big enough to take care of himself!" He laughed suddenly. "Roy'll wipe the floor with that little elf!"

Faster than the eye could follow, Black Canary grabbed Green Arrow's wrist and suddenly dumped him unceremoniously on the floor. The rest of the superheroes present broke into spontaneous laughter.

"Bravo! Well done!" The Flash called, clapping his approval.

"May I go next?" Green Lantern asked.

"Hey! What was that for?" Green Arrow spluttered, his dignity hurt. He looked around at his so-called buddies. "Ha-ha, guys. You wouldn't be laughing so hard if your girlfriend could kick your butt!" He protested, then under his breath he muttered, "Super-powered morons!"

"This is why, you big doofus!" Black Canary said quietly. "Robin is an expert martial artist. If he wishes to do so, he could very easily injure Speedy."

"Aw, come on, Pretty Bird," Green Arrow protested, first rubbing his wrist, then another part of his anatomy. "I know Robin's good, but Speedy's got him beat by a good four inches and about fifteen pounds. No way can he best Roy one-on-one."

Black Canary shook her head and sighed, looking at Green Arrow almost pityingly.

"Didn't I just demonstrate that size has nothing to do with ability? Training does. Robin's been trained by the best, remember? I watched Robin flatten both Wonder Girl and Speedy yesterday. I'm not sure that I'd be able to take him one-on-one."

Black Canary glared at her lover, then proceeded to press her point.

"Now, are you getting up off your butt and are you going to do your parental duties, or am I going to have to teach you a lesson or two in self-defense?"

* * *

"I guess I thought I could be prepared for just about anything, but girls?" Batman spoke, his back turned determinedly away. "I mean, he's only thirteen! Talking to him about taking down Gotham's crazies is a snap compared to the little conversation I had with him last night!"

Superman smiled in understanding. He was slightly bemused that Batman was opening up to him, albeit reluctantly. Sadly, Superman knew that he was probably the closest thing to a "friend" that Batman had in the JLA. However, because their "friendship" was tenuous at best, Superman would have to choose his words carefully.

"Not having faced that problem myself, Bruce, I'm not sure I can offer any advice. That's more along my Dad's line of work." Superman's smile broadened. "I don't envy you your predicament, my friend. On the other hand, I do envy you that you have the opportunity to be suffering from such a problem."

Batman turned, his expression inscrutable as ever; yet, Superman sensed the quandary underneath the grim exterior.

"That's a fine boy you have, Bruce," Superman reminded him gently. "Be happy his problems are normal teenaged problems, and not something else."

Batman gave a curt nod. He spoke haltingly, unused to confiding in anyone other than Alfred or Dick.

"It seems like only yesterday, that Dick was still sleeping with his stuffed elephant. It was really hard for him at first, as you can well imagine, following his parents' deaths. He was barely nine...and small...God, I never knew kids were so small! I didn't know what I'd gotten myself into. I was only in my mid-twenties myself, and I suddenly found myself the father of a very needy, very lonely, very traumatized little boy!"

Batman walked over to the plate glass viewing window that overlooked the gym below. He leaned over heavily, resting his forehead on the glass.

"More than anything, I saw myself in him, I guess. I just wanted so badly to help him see that his life wasn't over, that hope remained."

Batman gave a rare half-grin.

"I was determined to keep him at arms' length, however. No emotional attachments for me, thank you very much. I told him flat out that I'd be his trainer and his partner, but that I wouldn't be his father."

He shook his head ruefully.

"Dick just looked up me with those big blue eyes of his and nodded his head in solemn agreement. I didn't know it at the time, but I guess I'd already lost that particular resolve. That first night, he slept in my old room and he just looked so helpless lying there sleeping so innocently, so trusting...Did I tell you how little he was?"

Superman nodded his head, knowing that Batman could see his reflection on the window. Batman straightened himself then turned around and gave Superman a wry look.

"I'd stood up against Two-Face, the Joker, Arkham's worst! But against that boy...I guess I just never really stood a chance."

Superman smiled. He didn't say anything, gave no profound words of wisdom. What could he say? Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson were extremely lucky that they found each other. Following his parents' deaths, the boy desperately needed someone to give him a home and love. While the man who'd shut himself off from almost all human feeling, himself desperately needed someone to give his life renewed hope.

Instinctively Superman knew that as long as Batman and Robin remained together, their lives would be in balance. A sudden cold hand clutched his heart. What would become of Batman if he ever lost Robin? Superman swallowed. This was neither the time nor place to entertain such thoughts.

"Bru--" Superman was interrupted by Robin and Speedy's entrance down below on the gym floor.

* * *

"Why did we come here?" asked Speedy, indicating the JLA training room.

"Because if we're going to have the discussion I think we're going to have," Robin explained, "then we need to make sure that we have as much room to express ourselves as we need."

"What are you talking about?" asked Speedy impatiently.

"I'm talking about the biggest jerk I've ever met in my life," Robin responded coldly. He advanced towards Speedy, jabbing his finger in the junior bowman's chest while he talked. Speedy retreated instinctively.

"Donna likes you--" (jab) "--but that isn't good enough for you is it?" (jab) "You have to try to control her, too." (jab) "Control who her friends are."

Robin stood still, his hands on his hips. He stood toe to toe and nose to chin to Speedy.

Using his height as an advantage, Speedy leaned down slightly and yelled into Robin's face.

"Hey, what's between Donna and me is none of your--"

Grabbing Speedy by the collar, Robin pulled him down to his level.

"Donna's my friend, and that makes her my business. You hurt her. You made her cry. That I won't forgive." Robin suddenly let Speedy go, as if disgusted that he'd touched the junior bowman.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Speedy yelled. He began advancing on Robin, jabbing his finger in imitation of Robin's earlier action. Only problem was that Robin stood his ground defiantly. "You're just jealous 'cause Donna's dating me and not you! You want her for yourself!"

Robin grabbed Speedy by the wrist and twisted slightly. Speedy yelped involuntarily at the unexpected pain, and ended up on his knees.

"Donna's my friend, and I care about her," Robin said quietly, applying a little more pressure. Speedy winced behind his mask, but refused to cry out again. "I thought you did, too. I guess I was mistaken." Robin released his painful grip suddenly, and turned to go. "I'm obviously wasting my time talking to you."

Speedy reached over and grabbed Robin's arm. Before he even knew what happened, Speedy landed head over heels on his posterior looking up at Robin's retreating back. In a sudden fit of anger, Speedy sprang to his feet and took off after Robin. He suddenly leaped, intending to take Robin down with a flying tackle.

* * *

When the boys walked into the gym, it was instantly obvious that they weren't there to train. Speedy radiated open defiance and a willingness to start a fight. Robin looked all too ready to take him up on it. Batman moved to the wall intercom to call Robin, but Superman stopped him.

"Bruce, those two have been headed for a fight almost from the start. You know that! They're both practically cut from the same cloth, and now they find out that they each like the same girl? They may be only kids, Bruce, but it doesn't make their feelings any less real to them. If we don't trust them to work out their personal problems on their own, then how are we going to trust them to fight alongside each other against some super-menace?"

Batman's chin jutted out in grim determination. Superman faced him down, his powerful form appearing both intimidating and gentle at the same time. Finally, Batman nodded; however, this was but a momentary retreat, for the Dark Knight would never agree to a full surrender to the Man of Steel.

They both turned to look down at what was happening on the gym floor.

Speedy launched an attack from the rear at Robin. Batman clenched his fist in anger. Speedy was the larger of the two boys, outweighing Robin by a good fifteen pounds; however, Batman hadn't trained Speedy.

* * *

At the last possible moment, Robin ducked, and Speedy went flying overhead. Speedy's training saved him from injuring himself. He tucked immediately and executed a shoulder roll when he landed. He came up instantly and attacked.

Robin easily fended off most of Speedy's blows. Speedy was a trained archer. In that area, he was second only to Green Arrow. In hand-to-hand, Robin had the advantage. Using all of his self-discipline, Robin redirected the force of most of Speedy's moves against him. Robin's actions were intended to inflict the least amount of injury to his opponent.

Speedy threw a punch to Robin's chin. Robin easily blocked the blow, grabbed Speedy's wrist, pivoted and tossed him into the air again. During the next quarter-hour, an angry, determined Speedy tried to overpower Robin through sheer brute force. None of Speedy's attacks connected with the young acrobat. To Speedy's increasing fury, it seemed that Robin somehow always managed to either deflect his blows, or simply not be where he'd been a split second before.

"Will you stand still so's I can hit you?" Speedy sputtered in exasperated anger. Robin shrugged.

"Okay," he said agreeably.

Speedy immediately immobilized Robin in a headlock.

"All right, Short Pants. Now we're gonna talk," Speedy said gasping. "You're not gonna see or talk to Donna, y'hear? She's my girl! Not yours. Furthermore, I want you off the team!"

"Oh, really?" Robin asked. He immediately brought his right index finger to a sensitive pressure point just under Speedy's jawline. Speedy instantly reared back to avoid the sudden pain, and before he could blink, Robin had him pinned on the floor mat.

"What you want is the least of my concerns," Robin said quietly. "What Donna wants, however, is. Like I said...Jerk...I care about Donna, and I don't want to see her hurt. What she sees in you is beyond me, but she assures me you're a man of honor. Okay. You've got a deal. I'm off the team. But I want you to understand, it's not because of what you want, but because of Donna. I don't want to see her cry anymore. And if you make her cry again, hotshot, the next time we have a discussion, it's going to be a lot more painful."

To emphasize his point, Robin applied a little pressure on Speedy's right thumb. Speedy gasped at the unexpectedly sharp pain!

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Robin said, "I'm gonna go finish my breakfast."

* * *

Up in the observation room, Batman and Superman quickly separated. Batman left to follow Robin, while Superman wanted to speak with Speedy.

* * *

Meanwhile, two additional pairs of eyes also witnessed the non-fight. Kid Flash and Aqualad were watching from the gym's in-door track located on the third deck. They were leaning on the railing looking down at the curious proceedings below them.

Kid Flash continuously expressed his disappointment at Robin for not being more aggressive against Speedy.

"I don't get it! Batboy could wipe the floor with that blowhard, yet all he does is...I don't know...looks to me like he's trying to avoid hurting 'im or something!"

"That is exactly what Robin is doing," Aqualad agreed. Pointing suddenly at the two combatants, he ordered, "Watch!"

Speedy suddenly landed and rolled on the mat--again--after being unceremoniously tossed on it--again! He threw himself at Robin's legs. Robin-- again--leaped gracefully into the air. His form was sheer poetry in motion. He almost seemed to defy gravity as he somersaulted three times, gaining momentum with each turn, and elegantly landed on his feet behind Speedy. He patiently waited for Speedy's next attack.

Aqualad shook his head in awe.

"Robin could put a dolphin to shame," he said admiringly.

"Yeah, yeah," Kid Flash said impatiently. "He's a regular Flipper! But when's he gonna flatten that jerk, Speedy?"

"I believe that your wish is about to come true," Aqualad said enigmatically. Sure enough, at this point Robin broke Speedy's hold on him, and ended their discussion.

"It's over?" Kid Flash asked disappointedly. "Hey, nothing happened!"

"That's where your wrong, Wally," Aqualad replied sadly. "I'm afraid that too much has happened. Come on. Let's speak with Speedy. I believe he needs a friend just about now."

"Friend? You wanna be that idiot's friend? No thanks! I'll talk to him all right, but if he needs a friend, he's gonna die a very lonely death before I offer him any friendship!"

Aqualad walked out while Kid Flash was venting his frustration. When he finished talking, Kid Flash realized that he was alone on the track.

"Hey, Gillhead! Where'd you go?" Kid Flash hurried out after the young Atlantean.

* * *

"Speedy!"

Speedy spun at the sound of his name. Aqualad was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. His demeanor was slightly different, a little less timid than usual. Closer to defiance, Speedy thought.

"What do you want, Gillhead," Speedy asked annoyed. He was exhausted after his "discussion" with Robin. He hadn't slept all night, either, and now all Speedy wanted was to go to bed.

"I wish a word with you," Aqualad replied.

"Make that two words, Arrowhead," Kid Flash chimed in.

"Look, guys, I'm not in the mood right now. I'm tired and I just want to be alone, okay?"

"No, it is not 'okay,' as you say," Aqualad said. "We observed your little altercation with Robin, and we're concerned about you."

"Concerned about me?" Speedy said sardonically. "Since when?"

"Yeah, Gillhead," Kid Flash asked. "Since when?"

"Since we're teammates," Aqualad answered. He elbowed Kid Flash, annoyed at the young speedster's denseness. "We wish only to help, Speedy."

Speedy stood in the middle of the room, obvious disbelief on his face. "Why should you want to help me, Garth?" he asked, his voice ragged.

"Yeah, Garth," Kid Flash agreed. "Why?" Aqualad gave him a warning look.

"Like I said, because we're teammates, and teammates are supposed to help each other when they're in trouble, aren't they?"

"Who says I'm in trouble?" Speedy asked obstinately.

"Jeez, Roy!" Kid Flash said exasperatedly. "You sure don't want to make this any easier, do you?"

"Why should I?" Speedy yelled. "You've both made it clear that you have little use for me!"

"Hey! What do you expect?" Kid Flash replied hotly. "You act like such a jerk most of the time. What are we supposed to do? Pretend that it's okay with us? You've been on Robin's case almost from the beginning. You won't give him half a chance! He's tried several times to shake hands with you, and each time you've slapped it back in his face. Now you're fighting over his friendship with Donna?"

Kid Flash shook his head in disgust.

"Get real, man! If Donna and Robin were even a little bit interested in each other, do you think that she'd even bother to take a second look at you? Donna's not some super-bimbo without a brain! She's got a mind of her own! I'm with Rob," Kid Flash added by way of conclusion. "I can't figure out what she sees in you, but that's none of my business."

Aqualad jumped into the conversation.

"She has known Robin longer than any of us, Roy. They're friends," he said in uncharacteristic frustration. "Just as we are friends. I don't understand this petty jealousy you continue to demonstrate. Robin is our leader. We trust him with our lives. Surely, you can trust him with your girlfriend?"

"Trust who?" they all turned to see Donna standing in the doorway.

* * *

"Robin!"

Robin stopped at the familiar menacing tone. Now what? He didn't bother turning around. Batman would catch up soon enough. As soon as the Dark Knight came up alongside him, Robin started walking, matching his mentor stride for stride. Not an easy task usually, but Batman deliberately cut his normal stride in half in order for his junior partner to be able to walk with him without having to run.

Batman stopped outside the JLA lounge.

"In here," he said. He opened the door and waited for Robin to precede him, then followed him in. Batman activated the door's privacy lock to prevent anyone walking in and disturbing them.

"You heard," Robin said without preamble.

"No," Batman replied. "I saw!"

Robin turned to him confused.

"I didn't hear what you and Speedy were arguing about, although I can guess; but I witnessed your...'discussion'."

"Oh," Robin replied in a quiet voice. His head hanging unhappily, he suddenly sat. "I'm sorry, Batman. I guess I didn't handle it very well." He looked up at his mentor. "And, even worse...I quit."

He stated the last part so quietly that Batman had to strain to hear him.

"You quit?" Batman asked, caught off guard. Robin nodded miserably.

"Yes, sir. In addition to being a lousy leader," Robin said, "I'm a quitter, too. I guess you're just really proud of me, huh?"

Batman sat down next to him.

"Okay, chum, tell me the whole story." Robin nodded and proceeded to report the details of the conversation.

"So, I decided that the best thing for everyone was that I just quit the team. I mean as long I'm with the Titans, Speedy and I are just going to clash. I'm not sure why, but he just rubs me wrong, Batman! I've tried to be friends, but he keeps insulting me, practically goading me into hitting him! I don't understand him! Why is he like that? I mean, if I'd done something to him, I could understand, but I haven't treated him any differently than the others!"

"I don't know, chum. Everyone carries some kind of excess baggage on them...the sum total of their lives. Somewhere, somehow that boy was hurt. Deeply it would seem. For some reason, you've become the whipping boy he's selected to lash out at because of that hurt. If I were you, I wouldn't take it too personally. Whatever problems Speedy has are his, not yours."

"But I quit, Batman!" Robin looked forlorn. "All I wanted was to have some friends my own age. That's all! It isn't fair! I didn't do anything!"

"Robin, how old are you?"

Robin looked at Batman like he'd suddenly sprouted horns.

"You how old I am, Batman!"

"Bear with me, chum. I asked you a question. How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Robin answered perplexed.

"And do you know what being thirteen means?" Batman asked. Robin shook his head, still mystified.

"It means, that you're entitled to make mistakes, and more importantly, to change your mind." Batman put his hand on Robin's shoulder. "No one could ever expect a thirteen-year-old, who made a promise that was clearly against his best interests, to keep his end of such a bargain."

"But, you've always said that a man's word is his bond!" Robin protested.

"Yes, I did," Batman agreed. "I still hold that to be true. But that's only in a matter of honor."

Batman suddenly stood up.

"This is nothing more than childish petulance on the part of Speedy. You gave your word to keep the peace, and I'm proud of you for it. You're thinking of the Titans before you think of yourself. But no one, Robin, not even I, would expect you to keep a promise that was made under duress."

Robin stood and faced his mentor defiantly.

"Maybe no one else would expect it of me, Batman," Robin said quietly. "But I'd expect it of myself."

He turned to leave the room. When he reached the door, Robin paused momentarily, and not looking back, he spoke quietly.

"I thought you'd expect it of me, too."

Batman stood and faced the door that his boy exited from for a few minutes. His outer features gave no hint of the inner turmoil he was feeling at the moment.

* * *

"Trust who?" Donna repeated. She looked at the three boys who all suddenly looked like they'd rather be somewhere else. Any place else. Donna had a sudden sinking feeling.

"Where's Robin?" she asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she turned to Aqualad. The Atlantean never lied and never garnished the truth. "Garth, where's Robin? What's going on here?"

Aqualad dropped his eyes, unable to meet her anger. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his lavender eyes and met her determined blue ones with a slight hesitation.

"I do not know his exact location, if that's what you are asking; however, he did leave here rather hastily."

"Why?" Donna asked. "Why did he leave here in haste? Wally? Roy?"

Wally blushed awkwardly. Donna always made him a little nervous, because she was so pretty. When she was angry, however, he knew that the only thing that could save him was his speed. He felt himself instinctively sidling away from her.

Wally shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"I-uh, I'm not really sure, uh, Donna," he managed to stutter.

"I'm not really sure, Donna," she repeated sarcastically. She turned ominously towards Speedy. "Roy, you're the only one left. Where's Robin, and why did he leave here in such a hurry? And what were you talking about as I walked in?"

Feeling foolish and guilty, Speedy took a deep breath, and proceeded to answer her questions. As he related the events of a few minutes before, Donna's eyes widened first in shock, then in anger, then in hurt.

"You fought over me?" she asked outraged. "How dare you? How dare you question my choice of friends? Who do you think you are, Roy Harper? Great Hera! Mother warned me about becoming involved with men! She said you were all treacherous...that in the end, all you would do was try to enslave me and all the other women! I should have listened to her...to the history of my people!"

She began to cry.

"I can't believe you'd betray me this way. I can't believe you'd betray Robin! All he wanted was to be to your friend! Did you know that? Did you ever stop to think about other people's feelings? We're the only friends he has, and because of you, Roy Harper, he's decided to walk away from it all. Because he thinks that the Titans are more important than his need to have friends!"

She whirled around and began walking out of the training room. At the door she stopped, and turned to look at Roy again.

"I told him yesterday that you were a man of honor. He told me that he was going to talk to you this morning about his family. Try to make you understand. He said that because you two were the only ones without superpowers that he felt that you and he could be good friends."

Donna gave Roy a look that could freeze molten lava.

"I guess Robin was wrong about you. Apparently, I was too." She turned and stalked out.

Kid Flash and Aqualad both advanced menacingly on Speedy.

"There isn't much to add after that," Kid Flash said. "Except this: It'll be a cold day in hell when we let you lead the Titans!" With that, he too turned and walked out.

Aqualad hung back for a moment. Speedy looked at him with dawning hope, but Aqualad suddenly shook his head, as if in deep disappointment. Then, he followed Wonder Girl and Kid Flash out the door.

Speedy remained standing in the middle of the gym floor. He hadn't felt this alone since his tribe had disowned him.

* * *

Chapter Five

The colossal ship's impeller drives came to an all stop. The ship's Artificial Intelligence assessed the situation. Carefully formulated transmissions to the third planet from the M-type yellow star had not been answered. The AI determined that more data was needed.

It sent a short signal to the launch room located hundreds of levels below. Long-dormant launch tables were suddenly activated. Slowly at first, conveyor belt motors began spinning. Overhead steel cables and grabbling hooks moved silently along well maintained though long unused metal beams.

Mighty doors slammed open suddenly and revealed smaller, skyscraper-sized ships...

* * *

After Batman left the JLA lounge, the Atom came out from where he'd been hiding. "Well, I wouldn't call it hiding exactly," Atom said to himself. "I was just staying out of their way."

He'd come in earlier to relax. Once it became obvious that the anomaly was indeed on a trajectory towards earth, Atom stayed in the monitor room for several more hours until all the readings began to blur. Green Lantern finally shooed him out and ordered him to get some sleep.

When Batman and Robin walked in originally, Atom was taking a nap on his favorite bookshelf. It included works by Dickens and Dumas. Ray Palmer might be a physicist by profession, but he was a romantic at heart. He set up his miniature couch on the bookshelf and curled up to read for a few minutes respite.

Atom promptly fell asleep only to be awakened an hour later by quiet voices, one young and agitated, the other deep and somewhat uncertain. When the Atom finally came to full awareness, he realized that he'd been listening in his sleep for some time to a very personal conversation between Batman and Robin.

Atom felt embarrassed. Obviously he was intruding on a private moment. Should he interrupt and excuse himself? After all, his presence was totally accidental, he told himself.

Oh, yeah? Atom replied, and how will I explain that I was here for however long that they've been here?

Atom opted for the better part of valor, a quiet retreat. He reduced himself to an even smaller size and ensconced himself comfortably on the back binding of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Atom decided that it was better for all concerned if he said nothing for the moment. He waited patiently for the father/son drama to play itself out, then when Batman followed Robin out the door, Atom emerged from where he'd been perched, guiltily listening.

"Who'da thunk it?" Atom mused. "The Bats really loves the little guy." He smiled suddenly. "Well, looks like it's up to Doctor Palmer, Freshman Class advisor and coolest guy on campus, to stick his nose into something that is totally none of his business!"

Atom left the lounge to find his best friend and sometime partner, the Flash.

* * *

As he was about to walk into the gym, Superman was unceremoniously shoved aside by Green Arrow.

"'Scuse me, Supes," Green Arrow said irreverently. In order to avoid injuring GA, Superman allowed himself to be pushed. Standing to the side, Superman watched his outspoken teammate walk towards Speedy.

"Thank you for caring, Superman," Black Canary said behind him. Superman smiled as he turned to her.

"Speedy looked like he could use a friend just about now," Superman said quietly.

As always, whenever the Man of Steel smiled directly at her, Black Canary felt her knees suddenly wobble. It's not that she was attracted to Superman, she told herself; at least, no more so than any other woman on the planet. It was just that Superman was the living embodiment of perfection.

On the outside, Superman had the power to level mountains and change the course of raging rivers. On the inside, he was gentle and kind. He rarely raised his voice or showed anger. On the occasions that he did, he usually directed it at some overwhelming super-menace that was threatening his beloved adopted home world.

It was just like Superman to show interest in Speedy's problem.

"Excuse me?" Superman asked. Black Canary's eyes widened. She must've spoken out loud, and as Batman said earlier, Superman's hearing wasn't one of his failings.

"I said that it's just like you to show concern for Speedy." Black Canary said smoothly, then shrugged anxiously. "I've been worried about Roy this entire visit."

They were suddenly interrupted by an angry shout.

"What do you care?" Roy yelled. "Every since she showed up, she's all you're interested in. She's the only one you care about! You're hardly ever home any more--!"

Green Arrow said something that Black Canary couldn't hear.

"Don't give me that, Ollie! It's too late to try and play the part of the concerned parent! Remember the last time the both of you left on some JLA mission? You left me alone for three months! You said that I was old enough to look out for myself. Well guess what? I totally agree!"

Speedy saw Black Canary standing near the door.

"There she is, Ollie! She's the only thing that matters to you. Well, that's okay with me! I don't need a father! I don't need a partner! And I don't need you!"

Speedy turned to walk out of the gym, but Green Arrow grabbed him by the arm. Speedy whirled and punched his mentor, partner, and guardian squarely on the chin. Not expecting the attack, Green Arrow didn't duck and took the full brunt of the blow. He went down instantly.

"Stay away from me, Ollie. Stay away from me, or I swear I'll hit you again!" With that Speedy stalked out.

"Superman, please go to Speedy," Black Canary pleaded. "He shouldn't be alone right now. Please?" Superman nodded, then lifted gently and flew out the door.

Black Canary hurried over to the dazed Green Arrow. After what Speedy had said, she was even more worried. No wonder Roy seemed so angry and out of sorts! She'd been blind to the problem because she was so close to it.

In Roy's eyes, Dinah was the problem!

Of course Roy was jealous, Black Canary realized. He and Ollie had shared a bachelor living existence for several years. Then she came along and practically usurped Ollie's attention. Not that Oliver Queen had been a monk before Dinah Lance came into the picture, but none of Ollie's previous relationships with women had been serious.

Roy worshipped Ollie, and now he felt like he was being shoved aside, abandoned--again! All because of her! She and Ollie had to talk to Roy. Make him understand that just because they loved each other it didn't mean that Roy meant any less to Ollie. And to her.

Black Canary admitted that she was extremely fond of the young teen. She couldn't bear to see him hurting. Roy lost his father when he was little more than a baby, then Brave Bow, Roy's adoptive father also passed away. He left Roy in the hands of his Native American tribe who treated Roy as an outsider, and thus ostracized him.

Alone and abandoned, the boy found out about Green Arrow and worked to become his partner. Ollie immediately took to the boy and became his legal guardian. Sometimes Dinah wondered if Ollie even realized the extent of Roy's deep feelings for him.

"Uhhhnn," Green Arrow groaned as he slowly regained consciousness.

"Ollie," Black Canary called worriedly. "Ollie, are you all right?"

"Uhhhnn, what happened?" Green Arrow moaned.

"Roy decked you," Black Canary explained ruefully. "What did you say to him, you idiot?"

Green Arrow grimaced in pain. He brought his hand tenderly to his jaw.

"What you told me to say," he said, still a bit dazedly. "That we were worried about him, and wanted him to tell us what was bothering him."

"Hmmm. That's probably what set him off. The we part, I'm afraid. It looks like Roy does have a problem, and the problem is yours truly...Me! We have to talk to him, Ollie. This time without punches, hopefully."

Green Arrow looked up at Black Canary and slowly sat up. He recalled the look of anger and contempt in his ward's eyes. He remembered trying to reason with him, trying to be the "concerned parent," as Roy had mocked. Green Arrow felt strangely guilty over Roy's words. Soon his guilt turned to self-righteous anger.

Okay, the kid didn't want a father or a partner? Fine with him! He didn't need to be saddled with some disruptive teen at home either. His eyes narrowed in anger. Give a kid some freedom and what does it get you? Sucker punched is what!

"You talk to him," Green Arrow said. "The kid's made it clear he wants nothing from me. And that's perfectly all right by me! I never claimed to be the world's greatest dad. I just wanted to be his friend, his pal, y'know? And this is how he pays me back."

Black Canary leaned back on her ankles. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Of course, Roy said he doesn't want anything from you!" She protested. "He's hurting inside! Ollie, Roy's only fourteen years old. The people who raised him abandoned him when he was only eleven! He worships you, Ollie. He thinks you're abandoning him, too, for me. You've got to make him understand that I'm not a threat to your relationship with him."

"You bet you're not a threat, Pretty Bird," Green Arrow responded darkly. "'Cause as of today, there is no relationship between me and the kid! It's over! He called it quits. Well, it's just fine with me!"

"I don't believe I'm hearing this!" Black Canary said in shock. "Ollie, I've always known that in many ways you're nothing more than an irresponsible overgrown little boy. But when it came to Roy, I felt that you had nothing but the best intentions. I've often bit my tongue, when I thought you were being way too permissive with him, because I thought you really loved him."

Black Canary shook her head, and looked at Green Arrow as if for the first time.

"Maybe I've been wrong about you. Maybe you didn't set any rules, and gave him too much freedom, not because you cared about him, because you just didn't want to be bothered with him."

She stood up slowly.

"I don't think I know you, Oliver Queen. And from what I'm seeing right now, I don't think I want to know you!"

"Hey, Pretty Bird, it's not like that," Green Arrow protested, reaching his hand out to her. "I swear!"

Black Canary began backing out slowly, avoiding his touch.

"I thought Batman was too harsh with Robin, that he didn't need to keep such tight leash on the boy. At least I can see that he does what does because he's overly protective. You, on the other hand, just don't care!"

The last words were torn out of her. Black Canary whirled around and ran out of the gym. She couldn't bear to look at the man she'd thought she loved any longer.

"Dinah, it's not like that. I love that kid," Green Arrow said. But he was speaking to an empty room.

* * *

Speedy ran down the corridor towards his quarters. Everything was going so wrong! Everyone was mad at him! First Robin, then Donna, then the other Titans. Now Ollie hated him, too! What was the matter with him? Why did the people who meant the most to him always grow to hate him, instead? Why couldn't he hold on to people he loved?

As he ran, Speedy suddenly felt a firm, but gentle hand grip his shoulder. He immediately ducked and rolled. Or, at least, that was what he'd intended. Instead, Speedy felt himself being lifted bodily and flown down the corridor. He tried struggling at first, but when he realized who had him, he gave up.

Yeah, like I can get away from Superman, Speedy thought sardonically.

"Relax, son," Superman said. "I want to show you something."

* * *

Robin stomped into his quarters and quickly crossed the outer living area, jerking off his mask and cape as he did so. As he walked into his bedroom, Robin angrily tossed his mask and cape aside and threw himself on the bed.

"I'm only thirteen, he said! I don't have to keep my word, he said! It's not a matter of honor, he said!" Robin suddenly scrambled to his feet and began pacing.

"I just don't get it! You think you know a guy, then he pulls a one-eighty on you! What am I supposed to do now? Go back on my word? I can't do that!" Robin stopped his pacing. "I won't do that. Not even for you, Bruce."

"What about for me?"

Robin whirled around.

"Donna! What are you doing here? How'd you get in here?"

Wonder Girl smiled a little guiltily. "You left the door to your quarters unlocked. I tried knocking, but you didn't answer. I know I shouldn't have walked in...I'm sorry."

Robin glared at her for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Come on! Let's talk in the outer room! You're crazy, you know that? If Bruce or your sister ever found out that you just barged into my room like this, we'd both be in trouble!"

"Why should you be in trouble? I'm the one who barged in."

"Yeah, and I'm the one who left my quarters unsecured," Robin reminded her. He shook his head at Wonder Girl's naivete, and grabbed her by the wrist leading her determinedly to the outer living area. "Boy! If I have to listen to another of Bruce's father/son lectures on girls I'll kill myself!"

Wonder Girl blushed at the underlying implication of Robin's words. "Oh!" she said softly, embarrassed.

Relenting slightly, Robin smiled and added, "Come on. Let's check and see if there's anything to eat in the refrigerator."

"Great! 'Cause I'm starved!"

Both Robin and Wonder Girl spun at the unexpected voice.

"Kid Flash! Aqualad!" Wonder Girl's eyes widened at the intrusion. She turned to Robin, her hands clasped across her mouth. "Robin! I'm so--"

"--Don't say it, Wonder Girl!" Robin said, holding his hand out in a stopping motion. "Just don't say it, please?"

Robin stood in the middle of his unsecured quarters fully unmasked! How am I ever going to explain this to Batman, he thought miserably?

"So...what's to eat?" Kid Flash asked.

* * *

"Where are we?" Speedy asked. Superman had flown him into a small, enclosed room barely large enough for the two of them.

"You'll see," Superman said enigmatically.

Speedy heard a small click, then a louder groaning sound, followed by a long hiss.

"What was that?" he asked nervously.

"Don't worry, son," Superman reassured him. "You're perfectly safe." As soon as the words were out of Superman's mouth, it seemed to Speedy as if the satellite's bulkheads were collapsing around him.

"My God!" Speedy cried out panicked. "There must've been some kind of explosion! There's a breach on the starboard bulkhead!" He started running out the exit, but Superman caught him.

"Calm down, Speedy," Superman said in quiet soothing tones. "There's no breach, and we're in no danger. Watch."

Superman pointed up. Speedy's eyes followed Superman's pointing finger. What he saw took his breath away. The bulkhead was slowly opening, peeling away, almost like tulip petals opening in the sun. The aperture started immediately overhead, at twelve o'clock and kept widening.

As the bulkhead peeled away, Speedy's eyes grew ever wider, holding him enthralled in wonder. It felt as if he and Superman were standing on the edge of eternity, with nothing between them and the rest of the universe. Intellectually, Speedy knew that he and Superman were probably protected by some kind of transparent titanium, the same material as in the JLA lounge's viewing port. But this?

Speedy never knew this observation deck existed! Even the floor was transparent. He felt as if he were hanging in space without a safety line. The view was stunning. He didn't have the words to articulate his emotions. He was in too much awe.

The Earth hung like an exquisite blue jewel directly beneath them. The moon was peeking shyly from behind her larger sister. Speedy turned 360 degrees. In that direction, he could make out Venus. Mars lay further on. Sol burned steadily and brightly, his white light bringing nourishment and energy to the billions of living beings and organisms that inhabited the planet below.

"Makes our own petty problems seem rather insignificant, doesn't it?" Superman murmured. "Whenever I start to feel like I'm King of the World, or get on some other super-ego trip, I come up here and get my perspective back."

Superman smiled a little embarrassed.

"When I was growing up and discovering just how different I was from everyone else, and frustrated because I couldn't tell anyone, couldn't share my secret with even my best friends...well, you can only imagine how lonely I felt."

Superman looked at Speedy a little sadly, and Speedy, in turn, began to realize how lonely the Man of Steel's childhood must have been. Speedy couldn't imagine how it must feel being the last of your kind. The enormity of the insight left him feeling profoundly sorry for the Last Son of Krypton.

"Pa took me aside and told me that the problems of one kid with superpowers didn't really amount to a hill of beans when you took in the big picture."

Superman smiled suddenly and opened his arms wide, encompassing the entire universe.

"The universe is bigger than me, Speedy. It's bigger than either one of us! Bigger even than that small, beautiful planet we both call home. Whatever's out there will be coming here soon. We don't know yet if it's friend or foe. Our own problems may seem insurmountable at times, but when you look at the big picture--"

"--When you look at the big picture, our problems suddenly seem pretty trivial," Speedy finished. He stood, head hanging, feeling thoroughly ashamed of himself. Speedy felt Superman's comforting hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

"Son, I know that you're hurting inside. I know that it seems as if the whole world's turned against you. But I assure you that's not true. I can't help you with whatever problems you and Ollie are having. I'm afraid that that's something the two of you will have to iron out. The same goes for your earlier fight with Robin."

At Speedy's startled look, Superman nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I saw what happened. It seemed to me that Robin went out of his way not to hurt you, didn't he?"

Speedy's face darkened immediately.

"He didn't have to!" He protested hotly. "I could've taken him eventually!"

"Perhaps, but why would you want to hurt one of your teammates? One of your friends?

"I don't know what you're talking about! That little twerp is no friend of mine!" Speedy stubbornly denied, then added suspiciously, "And why are you so interested in me anyway? Why's everyone suddenly so interested in my welfare, huh? Ollie certainly hasn't expressed any concern before today. Or are you just afraid that I would've hurt your precious little Boy Wonder?"

Speedy shrugged Superman's hand from his shoulder.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Speedy cried out in anguish. "Why doesn't everybody just leave me alone?"

"There's a lot of bile building up inside of you, son. If you don't try to stop it soon, it's going to reach critical mass. And before you know it, you will be alone. All alone."

* * *

End of Part 1 


	2. JLA/Titans: Invasion! (Part 2)

Title: JLA/Titans: Invasion! Author: Syl Francis Email: efrancis@earthlink.net 

**** 

Summary: The Titans arrive at a mutual understanding; Batman and Green Arrow "discuss" their different parenting techniques; promises are made and broken; new rifts threaten to tear the fabric of sidekick/mentor relationships. 

Acknowledgement: As always, much thanks to Terri and Dannell for their patience and assistance; their critical input was priceless in the final development of my story. 

Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome! 

Copyright 1999 

**** 

JLA/Titans: Invasion! by Syl Francis 

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." (Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice") 

**** 

Chapter Six 

The ship's AI issued the necessary launch order. The launch room was suddenly racketed with klaxons warning the ship's long-dead crew of the impending decompression. The waiting, pilotless scout ships were ejected out of the launch deck by automatic, unmanned catapults. As the small armada of scouts cleared the mother ship's outer shields, plasma-powered impulse engines fired automatically. 

Commands that were originally pre-programmed into the scout ships' Target Acquisition Centers before the dawn of time began running defensive firing drills. AIs that had been asleep for eons assessed their scouting mission. Third planet from the M-type yellow star located at approximately twenty light years above the galactic plane and 28,000 light years from the center cluster... 

**** 

"Ray, I don't know what you expect *me* to do!" the Flash protested. "I mean, Batman and I are hardly pals! Why don't *you* talk to him, since you're so interested in Robin's welfare?" 

"Because, Barry, I don't have a kid sidekick! Besides, if Bats gets upset because we're sticking our noses in where they don't belong, you can run a lot faster!" 

The Flash stuck his fingers in his ears, and starting walking around the room. "I'm *not* listening to this! Iris warned me about hanging out with a theoretical physicist! She says you're all crazy, and you'll probably wind up getting me killed!" 

Atom laughed. "Iris never said that! She *likes* me. By the way, Jeannie wants to know when you two would like to get together for dinner again?" 

"Geez, Ray," the Flash said removing his fingers from his ears, "I don't know...social stuff is Iris' department. I'll have her give Jean a call, okay?" 

"You do that, buddy," Atom said, smiling. "Now, where were we? I was telling you that you're the best choice to approach Batman because you two have sidekicks in common...And don't you *dare* stick your fingers in your ears again! I swear, Barry, you're worse than the Titans, you know that?" 

"But, Ray...buddy...the fact that Batman and I both have sidekicks doesn't alter the fact that he and I aren't exactly on friendly terms. He'll find this intrusive and rightly so!" 

"I know that, Barry," Atom agreed reasonably, "but you're still in a better position to relate to him than I'd be able to. Besides, Wally isn't just your partner. He's your nephew. That counts for something, I think." 

"Yeah, to *me*!" the Flash said. "Wally is like a son to me. When I began dating Iris, I met the little guy, and...I don't know. He had and *still* has a terrible relationship with his father. He needed a friend." 

"Wally got more than that, Barry. He got, as I've heard him say time and time again, 'the world's greatest uncle!' The boy loves you." 

The Flash smiled fondly. "The feeling's mutual, I assure you. When I married Iris, Wally was sort of part of the package deal. Almost like I got two for the price of one. Now that he's Kid Flash, we've grown even closer." 

"Then, you can relate to Batman!" Atom reminded him. 

"And how do you reach that conclusion, Doctor Palmer?" the Flash asked sarcastically. 

"Elementary, by dear, Doctor Allen," Atom returned easily. "I didn't just overhear Batman and Robin talking, Barry. I overheard a father talking to his son. As hard as it may seem to believe, the Bat-guy loves that boy. I wouldn't doubt it if in real life they *are* father and son. I think that would certainly explain Batman's almost unbending attitude in public. It's probably just a mask to hide his obsessive overprotectiveness of Robin." 

The Flash nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think I see what you mean. It would also help explain Robin's unquestioning obedience. He's *used* to having Batman as the authority figure." The Flash shook his head suddenly. "But I still don't see what it has to do with me. Whatever they were arguing about, it's none of our business! *You* shouldn't have eavesdropped, and *I* shouldn't have listened to you!" He paused and mused pensively. "Besides, I don't think I'd be fast enough if Batman ever decided to take me down." 

Atom smiled. "Come on, Barry...you *know* you want to! You can't stand by and watch that little guy hurting, anymore than you can ignore Wally's needs when he's had an argument with his father. You're a Dad at heart, Barry. You may not have any children of your own yet, but it doesn't change facts. And the facts clearly state that you can't *not* stick your nose in." 

"That's a double negative," the Flash chastised automatically. Atom grinned broadly. He knew he'd gotten to his friend. 

The Flash grimaced sourly, but he knew that Atom was right. He couldn't stand by and *not* stick his nose in. He only hoped he'd be fast enough to get out of the way when Batman tried to bite it off. 

"Okay, Doctor Palmer, but this hick from the Midwest ain't facing the Dark Knight by his lonesome. This was *your* idea, so you're coming with me." 

"Me? What do you need *me* for?" Atom asked. 

"In case I need to throw something really small with a lot of mass to save my neck!" 

**** 

Speedy glared at Superman through eyes shining with unshed tears. Finally, he dropped his gaze, and felt the tears start spilling. Superman's words rang in his ears... 

"...You *will* be alone. All alone." 

"I *am* alone," Speedy whispered. "Everyone I've ever loved has left me. Anyone I try to love leaves me eventually." He looked forlornly at the Man of Steel, and pointing at the earth spinning below, he asked, "If there are billions of people living down there, Superman, why can't I hold on to just one?" 

Superman placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Son, the only person who can answer that question is *you*. Love and friendship don't come free. You have to work for them, and then once you earn then, you have to fight to keep them. And I don't mean with these--!" 

Superman took Speedy's closed fists in his powerful hands. Speedy nodded reluctantly. Superman moved towards the edge of the observation deck. He placed his hands on the transparent titanium wall and stared thoughtfully at the panoramic view before him. How do I get through to him, Superman wondered? He sighed then tried another tack. 

"Son, do you know what's the hardest substance I've encountered in my journeys? The one thing that even *I* can't punch my way through?" 

Speedy shook his head. He couldn't imagine anything that Superman might have encountered that he couldn't disintegrate with just one super-powerful punch! Realizing that Superman had his back to him, Speedy answered. "No sir, I don't." 

"Pride, Son...silly, unbending, overbearing pride. The kind that says 'I'm right, and everyone else is wrong, so why should I change?'" Superman turned to face the young teen. "Speedy, pride is an admirable character trait in a man, but not if it isolates him from his friends and his family. Being right can sometimes be extremely lonely." I should know, he added silently, thinking of Batman. 

Speedy studied Superman for a few moments, looking for signs of deception. What did Superman mean, he wondered? What did he want him to do? Speedy walked past Superman and unconsciously imitated the Man of Steel's earlier pose by placing both of his hands on the transparent titanium and gazing, unseeing at the earth below. 

"Think about what I said, Son...and Speedy, you're never alone as long you're a part of our family. Remember that." With that Superman left the junior archer alone to his thoughts. 

**** 

Black Canary was packing her suitcases when Green Arrow walked into their quarters. He stood, leaning casually against the door to their bedroom without speaking. GA loved to watch her, even now when she was spitting mad and looked like she'd thoroughly enjoy tossing him on his rear, he enjoyed watching her. God, but she was beautiful! GA swallowed, then spoke quietly. 

"Dinah, I deserved everything you said. I'm a lousy father, I admit it." GA waited, but Black Canary ignored him and continued her packing without pause. GA walked to the bed and sat down next to the suitcase. 

Black Canary was forced to go around him to reach the open case. Green Arrow gave her his most rakishly charming smile. She paused for moment, glared daggers at him, then calmly moved to the other side of the bed, turned her suitcase around and proceeded with her packing. 

"Aw, Pretty Bird, please talk to me. I admitted I was wrong! What *else* can I do?" 

Without saying a word, Black Canary calmly picked up a framed eight by ten photo of Ollie. Then, quicker than lightning, she turned and threw it against the wall. The force of the impact shattered the glass frame into a million pieces. Green Arrow sat back, stunned by the violence of her reaction. 

"That's what I think of your apology, Oliver Queen! It's as worthless as that empty smile of yours! It's a smile that's full of promises that can turn a girl's head, but which in the end amount to nothing." 

Black Canary paused, looking contemptuously at Green Arrow. 

"But this isn't about me, Ollie...and it isn't about you. It's about a young boy whose heart you've broken. A young boy whose head you also filled with promises! Promises of a father's love and protection! Promises that like everything else about you were empty and meaningless!" 

Black Canary picked up her suitcase and started walking out. When she reached the bedroom door, she stopped keeping her back to him. 

"I'm not the person whom you should be apologizing to, Ollie. Roy's still somewhere on this space station--alone, frightened, his heart breaking. And if you don't do something soon, you're going to lose him, too." Black Canary started walking out, but paused again. "If you don't set things straight between you and Roy," she said, her voice breaking, "I'll hate you forever, Oliver Queen!" 

Long after Black Canary left, Green Arrow sat alone on the edge of the bed he'd shared with her. 

**** 

"You said there was a new development?" the grim voice uttered from behind caused the Flash to jump. 

How does he *do* that, the Flash wondered for the hundredth time? He turned and smiled at his taciturn teammate. "Uh, yeah, Batman...new development. Uh, right, Ray?" the Flash looked around for the Mighty Mite. "Ray?" 

Why the little--! Atom had disappeared. I'm definitely *killing* him, the Flash promised himself. I'll use the fly swatter...I swear, this time I'm doing it. Then I'll turn myself in to the Central City PD! 

"Well?" Batman asked impatiently. 

"Well?" the Flash asked uncertainly. "Oh! Yeah, the new development...uh, wait a minute, I just had the new readouts somewhere. I'm sorry about this Batman, but Atom had the readouts, and you know what the *little twerp* is like. Probably took 'em with him! *Has no consideration* for others *who have work* to do!" 

The Flash emphasized his words to make sure Atom knew exactly how he felt at being left alone with the Dark Knight. Batman raised an eyebrow at the Flash's uncharacteristically insulting words. Everyone knew that the Flash and Atom were close friends and colleagues in their civilian identities as well as in their superhero personas. 

"We were just going...uh...over the readings," the Flash was stumbling for words. He was not very good at acting or adlibbing. Ray, when I get my hands on you, I'll squeeze so hard, you'll-- 

"--Why don't you run a new batch?" Batman's gravelly voice interrupted the Flash's ruminations. 

"What?" 

"I said, why don't you run a new batch? If Atom took the readouts, he must've needed them for a reason," Batman said. He almost sounded reasonable. "Here, I'll do it." Batman walked to the terminal station and began typing rapidly. 

All the Flash could do was stand helplessly by. Once the system ran the data, the analysis would show no new development, and he'd be toast. Well, maybe now's the time, he thought to himself. Yeah, right now would be a good time. The Flash opened his mouth to speak, but was beaten to the punch. 

"Batman, while we wait for the readouts, Barry and I would like to talk you on a more personal topic." Atom was standing on the Cray monitor over Batman's head. He gave the Flash a sheepish shrug. "Right, Barry?" 

Batman stood up and faced both of his teammates. Even in the well-lit computer lab, Batman somehow seemed to fade into the nonexistent shadows. To the Flash, Batman's forbidding presence in the middle of the room was about as inviting as a secluded cemetery on Halloween night. The Flash swallowed. 

This isn't a good idea, Ray, the Flash urged silently. "Uh, yeah, right, Ray," he said aloud, nodding vigorously. 

Batman stood like a stone wall, waiting. 

Stonewall Batman, the Flash thought hysterically. Oh, God! Let me get through this without getting killed. 

"Uh, Batman," the Flash began tentatively, "I wanted to talk to you about--" 

"We--!" interrupted the Atom. "*We* wanted to talk to him..." 

"Right...*We*...that is Ray and I wanted to talk to you about..." the Flash stopped unable to continue. 

"What Barry's trying to say, Batman, is that he and I...*we*, that is--" 

"You've said that, gentlemen," Batman said quietly. 

"Right!" the Flash took a deep breath. "Batman what Ray and I want to talk to you about is--" 

beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep... 

The Scarlet Speedster was suddenly interrupted by the JLA's supercomputers' warning signals! The data request that Batman had input a few moments before had been correlated and was being sent out. The Flash zipped towards the Cray. What he read made his blood run cold... 

**** 

Robin removed his hand from his forehead, but he definitely had a headache coming. He looked at his three teammates with an "I'm dead" expression. Then he exploded. 

"I don't *believe* this!" Robin shouted in outrage. "Where were you people raised? Haven't any of you heard of *knocking*? You don't just walk into people's quarters unannounced! Especially people whose secret identities you haven't been told! That's trespassing!" 

Aqualad gave Robin an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Robin. I *knew* that we shouldn't enter, but *someone*--" Aqualad gave Kid Flash an annoyed shove, "-- said that an open door means, 'Please, come in!'" 

Kid Flash shrugged. "Well, it *does*!" He looked around at the others' crossed arms and threatening looks. "Well, in Blue Valley it means come in...honest! Scout's honor!" Kid Flash began to look upset. "Robbie, I'm sorry if I did something wrong, honest! But back home we *never* lock our doors unless we're gonna be out of town or something." 

Kid Flash looked pleadingly at the others. If he'd done something wrong, he hadn't meant to. What was the big deal anyway, he wondered? As soon as Kid Flash asked himself the question, Robin's appearance finally sank in. Robin didn't have his mask on! Oh. Kid Flash began sidling towards the exit. 

"Oh, no you don't, Flasheroo!" Robin said, grabbing the junior speedster by the arm. "You got me into this, now you're gonna help me figure a way out of it!" 

"But what can we do, Robin?" asked Wonder Girl. "There *is* no way out of this...I know you, Robbie. You'll never tell a lie, so all you have left is the truth." 

Robin sighed. "You're right, Wonder Girl. There's no helping it, I guess. What's happened, happened." He looked at his feet for a second. Suddenly shrugging, Robin invited them to the kitchen. "Come on, let's find something to eat." The others nodded. 

"But Robin," Aqualad began. "There is still hope. We still do not know your secret identity. We may know what you look like, but what are the chances that we shall ever bump into you while in our civilian identities?" 

"Hey, that's right," Robin agreed excitedly, hope dawning. "I mean, I'm just a kid, anyway. It's not like you're ever gonna see me on TV or anything, and we don't exactly go to the same school. There's almost no chance that you'll ever- -" 

"--Hey, Robbie, you have the same literature textbook *I* do," Kid Flash broke in. "What are you studying right now?" He began to open the textbook. 

"Kid Flash, don't--!" Robin began, but it was too late! Kid Flash opened the textbook to the inside cover and immediately saw the label that Alfred had affixed so meticulously in all of young Master Dick's schoolbooks. Kid Flash read out loud, "This book belongs to Richard J. Grayson, Wayne Manor, Gotham City." He looked up at the other three. 

"Who's Richard J. Grayson?" Kid Flash asked innocently, smiling brightly. Robin slapped his hand to his forehead; Wonder Girl placed a comforting hand on the Boy Wonder's upper arm; and Aqualad just stared at Kid Flash as if he were some new type of land dwelling fish he'd never seen before. The junior Scarlet Speedster's sunny smile faded uncertainly. 

"What'd I say?" he asked. 

**** 

"Oh my God," whispered Atom. "There must be thousands..." 

"Hundreds of thousands," added the Flash in a voice as subdued as his friend's. 

"What's their ETA?" Batman's menacing tones broke in. 

"What?" Atom asked unable to think clearly. 

"What is the invading force's Estimated Time of Arrival?" Batman asked enunciating each syllable carefully. 

"Oh! Their ETA! Of course...I knew that!" replied a flustered Scarlet Speedster. He was still stunned by the implication of what he was reading. An invasion force comprised of literally thousands of ships the size of the Empire State Building, powered with some kind of plasma/impulse star drive, much more advanced than anything the earth's governments would be able to defend against. And if the readouts were correct, the ships were definitely armed. 

"ETA to outer solar system...one-hundred fifty hours...that's about six point two-five days," the Flash said a bit more calmly. "From there to earth is anybody's guess, depending on whether or not they can maintain their star drive within the confines of a star's gravity well." 

Batman nodded. "Understood. Assemble the troops, gentlemen. We have a planet to defend." Batman turned to go, then stopped suddenly and turned back to face the two superhero scientists. "By the way, what is it that you two wished to speak to me about?" 

The Flash and Atom both stopped their frenzied activities and shared a mutually inscrutable look that somehow still managed to convey vast amounts of information between them. As one, they turned and faced the Dark Knight. 

"It can wait," the Flash said cheerily. 

"Yeah...wasn't important," piped in Atom. "Later!" They both turned back to the task at hand. 

Batman squinted behind his mask and managed not to shake his head. Amateurs, he thought. 

**** 

Chapter Seven 

The fleet of unmanned scout ships continued on its relentless approach to the third planet from the target star. Every few time units, as the original builders measured time, the scout ships would turn starboard along the x-axis, drop 10,000 kilometers on the z-axis, then reverse the procedure. As the armada "sailed" the deep oceans of space, its individual ships appeared to be taking part in an elaborately choreographed waltz. 

Until the dance reached its pre-programmed climax, and the members of the dance chorus opened fire on the audience. For every few time units, as the ships completed their dance routine and returned to their starting places, the scouts would once again test their defensive posture. First, forward shields would go up, then starboard, port, and aft. Finally full shields would come online, and the Target Acquisition Center's AI would take command of the ships' guidance control. The AI would then run through its test fire sequence... 

**** 

"What'd I say?" Kid Flash repeated. He looked at the name printed inside the literature textbook again. His eyes widened. "Oh." 

"Are all land dwellers as dense as you, Wally, or are you just a special case?" asked Aqualad. 

Kid Flash swallowed nervously. "Uh, Robbie..." 

"Never mind, Wally...never mind," Robin said, feeling suddenly tired by the whole ordeal. He took his textbook back. "Yeah, I'm Richard J. Grayson. But everybody calls me Dick." He shrugged. "Not much point in pretending you never saw it." He sighed. "I'm dead anyway...once Bruce finds out." 

"Bruce?" Kid Flash asked. Then recalling the entire legend inside the textbook (Richard J. Grayson, Wayne Manor, Gotham City), his eyes widened again as everything fell in place. "You mean, as in *the* Bruce Wayne of Gotham City? Like in Wayne Enterprises?" 

Robin nodded. "Yeah, I might as well tell you everything...but, guys, this is Top Secret! You can't tell anyone...*ever*! Even your own partners!" The others nodded solemnly. 

"You can trust *us*, Robbie!" Kid Flash said confidently. "I'm great at keeping secrets! Honest!" They all gave him neutral looks. "Hey, don't go by this! I swear...mum's the word! Cross my heart!" 

Robin shook his head. I'm dead, he thought. He turned his back for a second. "I'm gonna have to tell Bruce...like Donna said, I can't *not* tell him. That would be the same as lying, and believe me...you don't just lie to *Batman*!" 

Kid Flash swallowed at the inconceivable idea. Batman could probably read your thoughts before you said them, he thought. Just like Uncle Barry or Aunt Iris could. They *always* knew when he was telling a whopper, which is why he could never get away with anything at home. 

"Come on," Robin said. "I'll tell you over lunch. I'm starving...what with Speedy, then Batman, now this! I never had a chance to finish my breakfast!" The young superheroes hurried to the kitchen to search for sandwich makings. To their delight, they found several different luncheon meats, some of Alfred's tomato basil soup in tightly covered containers, and a wide assortment of breads. 

"Wow!" Kid Flash cried out, impressed by the variety available. All he and the Flash had was cold pizza. The two speedsters mostly took their meals in the JLA cafeteria. 

"Alfred takes care of us," Robin explained. "I'm not sure how or when this stuff got transported here, but, well, I'm not surprised." He shrugged. Alfred's loyalty and determination to ensure his two charges ate properly were just a part of life, part of the natural order of things. 

"Who's Alfred?" asked Aqualad, as the teens settled down to eat in the small dining area. 

"Alfred's our butler," Robin replied between bites. "But he's more than that. He takes care of us. I guess I love him as much as I love Bruce...or as much as I loved my own parents." 

"Your parents?" interrupted Kid Flash. "You mean, Batman isn't your father?" He winced suddenly. Both Aqualad and Wonder Girl kicked him under the table. What'd I say, he asked silently? They each gave him disgusted looks. 

Robin shook his head sadly. "No, Bruce isn't my real father. He took me in when my Mom and Dad were killed. He said that he would never replace them, or try to be my--" Robin's voice faltered. "--my father. But he's been a great pal, honest! He's trained me...taught me all kinds of cool stuff. And I've shown him a thing or two about acrobatics, but--" Robin's eyes dropped momentarily. "-- but, no. He's not my father." 

The other Titans sat momentarily in an awkward silence. 

"I don't know who my parents were," Aqualad said quietly, his violet eyes looking profoundly sad. "Arthur found me one day and took me in. He is a good friend and mentor. I never had anyone before him...I guess that I shall always be grateful to him for giving me a home." 

"And no one knows anything about me," Wonder Girl added sadly. "Diana found me in a burning building when I was just a baby. She took me to Paradise Island where Queen Hyppolyta adopted me. I love my Amazon sisters and my adopted Amazon family. But I wish, more than words can say, that I knew who I was and where I came from." 

Robin reached his hand across the table and placed it on Wonder Girl's. He gave her hand a light squeeze in sympathy. Wonder Girl looked up gratefully, blue eyes shining. Robin gave her hand a final squeeze then returned thoughtfully to his meal, his mind on Wonder Girl's story about being found in a burning building. He wondered if the building was still standing. If it was, then maybe he should-- 

Kid Flash cleared his throat, interrupting Robin's thought processes. "I don't have that kind of problem," Kid Flash said tentatively. "It's funny, 'cause I *know* who I am, and who my family is...and I almost wish I didn't." This last was added with a dark, bitter scowl. 

"My father hates my guts and thinks I'm a real loser...my Mom, well, she's okay, but she can't stand up to my Dad." Kid Flash stared soberly at his sandwich for a moment. Suddenly his dark mood lifted and was replaced with his usually sunny smile. 

"The luckiest day of my life came when Aunt Iris brought her new boyfriend, Barry Allen, home for dinner. No! That's not right! The luckiest day of my life came the day Aunt Iris *married* Uncle Barry. If I could have just one wish, I'd wish more than anything that Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris could be my real parents. I think I love them more than anything else in the whole universe!" 

They all looked at each other in quiet wonderment. Was it possible that they each suffered and hurt from such similar circumstances? Did they each yearn for the one thing none of them could have, or thought was beyond their reach? The one thing that kids around the world took for granted, the love and comfort of a mother and father? 

It was an unusually solemn group of young heroes who quietly finished their lunch... 

**** 

As he ate, Robin couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty about Speedy. Where was the junior bowman? He looked around at his friends, again wondering at their eerie similarities. He was grateful for their support, but he didn't feel right about Speedy's absence. Finally, Robin broke the silence. 

"Where's Speedy?" he asked. 

The silence stretched. In fact, the room seemed to grow even quieter, if such a thing were possible. Robin looked at each of his teammates, assuming the role of leader once more. 

"Where's Speedy?" he repeated. He looked first at Wonder Girl, who was studiously avoiding his eyes...Aqualad, who dropped his in shame...and Kid Flash, who tried to hold Robin's steady gaze, but didn't have enough will power and soon looked away. 

"Okay, let me rephrase the question," Robin said, a hard edge entering his young voice. "What happened after I left the gym?" Dead silence. "Uh-huh. I thought so. You stuck your noses where they didn't belong, didn't you? Just like when you came barging in here without permission, you all probably said something to Speedy. Am I right? Well?" 

"Aw, Robbie, come on," Kid Flash said a bit defensively. "What could we do, huh? Let the junior jerk think he could just shove us all around and become the big bad leader of the Titans? No way! Whatever we said to him, he had it coming! In spades!" 

"I agree with Kid Flash, Robin," Aqualad added. "Although, I am not certain of everything he just said. However, the gist is correct. Speedy did not have any right to demand that you quit the team...that is a decision for all of us to make together! Furthermore, his actions of late have been both childish and detrimental to the team as a whole. I feel that we acted well within our purview as Titans to have registered our protests at his somewhat untoward behavior." 

Kid Flash stared open mouthed at the Atlantean's speech. Finding his voice, the young speedster, nodded his head in agreement, and pointing at Aqualad added lamely, "Yeah! What *he* said!" 

Robin eyed them both coldly. Without his mask, they could see Robin's blue eyes burning intensely, his anger and disgust evident. Kid Flash suddenly wished that Robin would put his mask back on. Geez, the guy's scary no matter what he's wearing! Or *isn't* wearing, Kid Flash amended. 

Finally, Robin turned to Wonder Girl. She turned to face him slowly, raising her chin defiantly, the picture of a haughty Amazon Princess. They both stared at each other, neither saying a word for a seeming eternity. 

Kid Flash and Aqualad exchanged uneasy glances. Robin and Wonder Girl were best friends. Her relationship with Speedy was the first evidence of a possible rift in their friendship. Neither the junior speedster nor the teen Atlantean dared breathe lest they break the standoff between Robin and Wonder Girl and somehow make matters worse. 

"Roy had no right to say the things he did." Wonder Girl broke the silence first. "He has *no right* to decide who my friends are! And *you*--!" Wonder Girl's beautiful wide blue eyes narrowed into enraged slits. She suddenly jumped up from her chair and pointed furiously at Robin. "--You had *no right* to quit the Titans! You're our leader...and a leader doesn't quit just because one of his teammates doesn't like him!" 

Wonder Girl's hot, angry words hung in the air, ringing with accusation. Robin stood up, too. 

"You know that's not why I quit, Donna," Robin replied quietly. "You of all people should know better." 

Wonder Girl stepped away from the table, and crossed over to the living room. "Well, I don't," she said, choking. The tears that had been threatening since she'd yelled at Speedy weren't far behind. "I thought you were my friend...I thought you cared about me. But you were willing to throw it all away...for what? Some misguided sense of chivalry?" 

Robin walked up behind her, and gently took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Donna. I *do* care about you. You know that. Please don't cry...You know I can't stand it when you cry." He reached for a box of tissues. "Here." 

Wonder Girl sniffed her thanks. 

Robin sighed. "Okay, I admit it. I handled the whole thing badly. It's just that I *know* you like Harper, Donna. Our friendship seemed to be getting in the way of that. I couldn't stand watching him hurt you...not over me! You're my best friend. So, I--" 

"--So, you decided to step aside?" Wonder Girl looked hurt, angry, and amused all at the same time. "I admit that Roy's attitude was hurtful, and I didn't know how to handle it. I'm not sure I'll ever understand it...but that's something that *I* have to work out with Roy." 

Wonder Girl suddenly took a few steps away from Robin. She stood looking forlorn in the middle of the living area. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Robin again. 

"Dick, you're my best friend, too. You're like a brother to me...and as you can imagine, we don't have very many of *those* on Paradise Island!" 

She and Robin shared a secret smile remembering their earlier kiss. On impulse, Robin walked up to her and tipped her chin up with his forefinger. 

"Is that what I am, Donna?" Robin asked quietly, disappointment in his eyes. "Is that what you want me to be? Your brother?" 

Wonder Girl nodded reluctantly, feeling tears that never seemed from far from spilling threatening again. "Yes," she whispered softly, allowing him to caress her cheek gently. Robin's eyes smiled warmly, willingly accepting the role she'd assigned him in her life. 

Wonder Girl spoke again, this time chastisingly. "Do you think for one second that it was fair of you to just quit and walk away? Not just from our friendship, but from the Titans and our family? Because isn't that what we are? A family?" 

Wonder Girl addressed this last question to all of them. Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin slowly nodded. They were a family. As kid sidekicks to the World's Greatest Heroes they each lived a singular and exciting life. But it had its serious drawbacks, loneliness being the most prevalent. 

When they formed the Teen Titans, they'd each discovered that they weren't alone anymore. That there were others just like them, who felt thrilled to share the dangers with their adult partners, but because they were still teens faced problems unique to themselves. Problems that their adult partners never experienced. Problems that only another teen could understand. 

"You're right, Donna, we *are* a family," Robin said smiling. He waved Aqualad and Kid Flash over to them. When they were all standing together he added, "But we're missing a member of our family, aren't we?" 

The others dropped their eyes, unable to agree with him. Exasperated, Robin said simply, "You know guys, my Mom used to always say that while you can choose your friends, you're stuck with the family that God gave you. If we're really a family, and not just friends, then Roy Harper, warts and all, is a part of us...*If* we're a family." 

Robin placed his hand straight out in front of him, palm down. Slowly, one by one, the others did the same. 

"TITANS TOGETHER!!" 

"Let's go find our missing teammate, Titans!" The others smiled at Robin. The one true Titans' leader had spoken. 

**** 

Before the Titans left Batman and Robin's quarters, Robin stopped at Batman's private workstation, which the Dark Knight kept in his bedroom. Robin felt a little guilty about breaking Batman's security protocols. 

"Oh well," Robin muttered in self-justification, "if Bruce didn't want me to break his security codes, he wouldn't've taught me how to do it!" 

Robin quickly ran a personnel search of the JLA satellite, looking for Speedy's unique signature among the other heroes. There were only five people currently onboard who were under five feet eight inches, and at the moment three of those were hovering over Robin. Therefore, the fifth one had to be Speedy...there! 

Robin quickly typed in a few more commands and instantly accessed the exact location. 

"Forward Observation Deck...Level One-A!" Robin read aloud. "Let's go!" The Teen Titans searched for and quickly found the special express elevator, which went directly to the observation deck. They all piled in and quickly made their way up through the massive satellite's multiple levels. 

An instant later, the elevator doors opened to...EMPTY SPACE! Wonder Girl gasped. Robin experienced a moment of vertigo, which quickly passed. Aqualad and Kid Flash stood back stunned by the awesome sight. 

And standing there, seemingly in the middle of open space, was Speedy! 

Robin swallowed a couple of times, then closing his eyes, he took a tentative step forward. Intellectually he knew that the observation deck wasn't open to space, that it was probably protected by the same material that the JLA lounge's viewing ports were composed of, but it was still somewhat disconcerting to step out into...nothingness! 

Carefully, placing his foot down, Robin was rewarded with a solid floor. Not opening his eyes, he took a second step. When Robin knew that he was standing outside of the elevator and in the middle of the observation deck, he finally opened his eyes. And kept on opening them, until he thought his eyes would fall out of their eye sockets! Robin stood enthralled by the indescribable vista spread out before him. 

He couldn't speak...such beauty required a total reverential silence on the part of a mere human boy. 

"There aren't words for it, are there?" asked Speedy quietly. Robin shook his head, no. "I've been standing here for about an hour, trying to make sense of it all...my life, me, you, the Titans...everything. And it all seems so unimportant." Speedy turned to face Robin. "I was wrong...and I've been a jerk. If you, Donna, Wally and Gillhead never speak to me again, nor want to have anything to do with me, I'll understand." He turned back to the panoramic view of the universe. 

"As someone recently told me," Speedy added in a quietly subdued voice, "the problems of one kid don't amount to a hill of beans when you look at the big picture!" 

"Hill of beans, huh?" Robin smiled. "I guess that someone likes old movies, too." 

Speedy turned to him with a questioning look. 

"'Casablanca' was one of my Dad's all-time favorites!" Robin shook his head. "Never mind, it isn't important. What *is* important is that we're all together again." He walked over to Speedy and held his hand out in a peace offering. 

Speedy stared at Robin and the others disbelievingly. Even after he'd acted like such a jerk? He looked carefully at each in turn...was it a trick? Speedy read hope in Wonder Girl's shining eyes...friendship in Aqualad's...there was a careful neutrality in Kid Flash's eyes, as if withholding judgement. 

And Robin's? Speedy couldn't read Robin's eyes, because the Boy Wonder was wearing his mask. Still, hesitating, Speedy was about to take the proffered hand, when Robin did something that was even more shocking. 

Reaching up suddenly, Robin removed his mask! Standing there, unmasked, his piercingly dark blue eyes studying his hotheaded teammate, Robin once again offered his hand. 

"Hi, we've never been properly introduced...I'm Dick Grayson. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Robin smiled broadly. Speedy's eyes became as huge as two green marbles. Speedy took Robin's hand in both of his, shaking it vigorously. 

"Dick Grayson! We-we've *met* before! When Ollie and I...in Gotham City last year...a-a charity benefit! Y-y-you were there...w-w-with Bruce Wayne!" Speedy's eyes widened further, his dark red eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. "Bruce Wayne! That means that Bruce Wayne is--" 

Robin quickly clapped his hand over Speedy's mouth. "Not so loud, junior bowman! We never know who's listening...anyway, yeah...I'm who you say I am...and you know who is...well, you know." 

Speedy looked nonplussed. "But why tell me...or show me? I mean...I thought--!" 

Wonder Girl walked up to Speedy and took his arm. Speedy happily hugged her to him. Robin felt a momentary stab of jealousy, but let it pass. He smiled, instead. 

"You thought we'd just drop you? Let you off the hook?" Robin asked. "No way, Harper! You're part of the family...and like it or not, this family takes care of its own. We're gonna have differences, 'cause that's the way it is with families, but we're all part of each other. Right guys?" 

Aqualad and Kid Flash gathered around them, nodding in agreement. "That's why our motto is 'Titans Together' and *not* 'Titans Only Some of the Time' or 'Titans When We Feel Like It!'" Robin grinned at Speedy who returned it, happy to back in the fold. 

"By the way," Robin said chagrinned. "The secret identity thing...do me a favor and don't tell anyone, okay? I don't exactly have Batman's permission to spread it around. As it is, I may not be the Titans' leader after this mission. I have a feeling that Batman's gonna clip my wings and ground me for life." 

As the junior heroes started loading onto the express elevator, Speedy asked derisively, "You mean, goody-two shoes Robin, the Boy Wonder, broke a rule?" 

"Don't make me hurt you, Speedy!" Robin threatened. 

"I can't believe it! Junior Birdman did something that'll get 'im grounded!" 

"Quiet, Quiver-breath!" 

"Make me, Twinkletoes!" 

"Insults can only lead to unfortunate altercations--!" Aqualad began. 

"--Shut up, Gillhead!" both Speedy and Kid Flash shouted together. 

"Jerk!" "Hayseed!" "Arrowhead!" "Dork!" 

As the elevator doors closed on the Titans, Robin and Wonder Girl shared a smile. Everything was back to normal! 

**** 

"The only option I can see, Superman," Green Lantern said, "is for either you or I or the both of us to go out and make First Contact." 

"Looks to me, GL, that the time for talking is over," interrupted Green Arrow. "That little armada that's coming our way outnumbers us by about a few thousand to--" 

GA paused and quickly counted the heroes sitting at the conference table: Superman, Atom, the Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Black Canary (GA hesitated on her face for an instant), Batman hiding off in the shadows somewhere, and himself. 

"--to eight!" Green Arrow finished. 

"Make that thirteen!" The JLA turned around towards the sound of the impossibly young voice. Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans were standing at the entrance to the conference room in various stances of proud defiance. 

In the shadows, Batman smiled beneath his cowl. The other JLAers looked on the Titans with a mixture of pride and amusement, but none dared show the latter. None, that is, except Green Arrow. He burst into laughter at the incongruity of five kids helping stop an alien invasion. 

"Tell me another one, Boy Wonder!" Green Arrow guffawed. "What help could you kids possibly be against thousands of alien ships?" 

"Maybe none, sir, but we'd like to help anyway," Robin said quietly. Then giving GA a devilish smile he added, "Besides I finished my homework, and it's not my bedtime, yet! I think an alien invasion will help pass a boring afternoon." He turned to the other Titans. "Don't you guys agree?" 

"Yeah, there's nothing on TV anyway," Kid Flash added straight-faced, "and besides the satellite has lousy reception!" The others nodded in mock agreement. "So we decided, what the hell--!" 

"Wallace! Watch your language, young man!" the Flash chastised instantly. 

"Sorry, Uncle Barry," Kid Flash said unperturbed. "But, in light of the fact that we could be facing the end of everything as we know it, 'What the heck' just didn't seem strong enough." 

Wonder Girl giggled behind her hand. She caught her sister's imperious look and stopped immediately. As soon as Wonder Woman looked away, Wonder Girl snorted helplessly. 

"What's the matter, Ollie?" Speedy broke in dangerously. "You afraid we might show up the World's Greatest Heroes? Look at you, all of you! The famous Justice League of America! You're no closer to a solution than you were when you first discovered this so-called 'space anomaly.' Are you?" 

Green Arrow jumped up, kicking his chair back in the process. Mentor and sidekick faced off each other, neither willing to back down. Robin walked up to Speedy and gently laid a hand on the junior archer's arm. 

"It's okay, Roy," Robin said quietly. 

Stepping confidently forward, Robin addressed the JLA directly. Gone was the trepidation he'd experienced the first day onboard. How long ago had *that* day been, he wondered? 

"We know that we don't have the JLA's combined power, but the Titans have done pretty well for themselves since we formed. We may be a little light on the superpowered stuff, but we make up for it in teamwork...in covering each other's weaknesses. Like *you've* taught us." 

Robin turned and addressed Batman directly. "Like you've taught *me*, sir." Batman and Robin held each other's steady gaze a moment. Batman nodded imperceptibly at his protege. Robin's face didn't register how he felt, but to the others present, he seemed to grow a foot. 

Atom and the Flash exchanged slightly chagrinned looks. Apparently, they'd been concentrating on trying to fix the wrong partnership. They both turned and glared at Green Arrow. 

Robin turned back and faced the JLA again. When he spoke, the Boy Wonder's pride was almost palpable in his young voice. "If strength lies in numbers, then the Titans would be proud to add theirs to the JLA's." When Robin finished, his words were met with complete silence from the senior heroes. Had he failed, Robin wondered disappointedly? 

Finally, Superman winked at the Titans' leader and gave him a thumbs up. At this sign of approval from the Man of Tomorrow, the Titans exploded in celebration, giving each other high fives and back slaps. They were in! 

"This is *way* cool, Gillhead!" Kid Flash shouted, giving the Atlantean a friendly shove. 

"Indeed, Wally," Aqualad agreed, shoving back. "Way cool." 

Speedy proffered his hand to Robin. Robin clasped it in his immediately, then called the others forward to the do the same. The JLA watched with pride as their young proteges cried out their motto once more: "TITANS TOGETHER!" 

**** 

"MONITOR DUTY?" Kid Flash protested. "That's what they make all the newbies do! Uncle Barry told me!" 

"We might as well watch the paint peel off the walls," Speedy groused. "It'd be just about as exciting." 

"They also serve, who stand and wait," Robin broke in unconcernedly. "Don't worry, our turn will come." 

"What makes you sure, Robin?" Aqualad asked curiously. 

"Yeah, Robbie," asked Wonder Girl. "What makes you so sure?" 

"Come on guys...that's an unimaginably-sized armada of ships heading our way. You think that the JLA won't need us to help fight them, if it comes to that, eventually?" The others looked at him, their expressions clearly stating that the thought had indeed *not* occurred to them. 

"Look, I know they have Superman, and I guess you don't need very many heroes as long as the Man of Steel is on your team! They also have GL and that power ring of his, not to mention Wonder Woman. But the others? Don't get me wrong. I don't discount them...especially Batman. In fact, I'm surprised Batman hasn't figured out how to stop the invasion, yet." 

Robin grinned with obvious pride in his mentor. "And the others are no slouches, either, in the superhero department! But like Green Arrow said...there *are* only eight of them!" Robin shrugged. "The way I see it is, it's not a question of *if* they'll need us, but how soon!" 

"Robin's right," Batman said from the doorway. The Titans, who'd been sitting around the JLA monitors in various states of casual slouching, quickly jumped to their feet. All except Robin, he'd actually been sitting in front of a monitor typing in commands while he talked. 

"What do you have, partner?" Batman asked quietly. Robin felt himself glow with pride. Batman was talking to him like an equal in front of the Titans. Robin typed in a few more commands, hit enter a couple of times, then sat back and waited. Finally, the JLA supercomputers began signaling that they were sending the data he'd requested. Robin hit the print button, and the information he wanted started spewing forth. 

"The ships are approximately carrier-sized, with plasma/impulse engines...which you already knew...Batman, here's something new! Weapons are being fired in a set pattern almost like clockwork." Robin shrugged feeling uncertain over such an obvious tactical error on the part of a more advanced enemy. "Maybe they're on some kind of pre-programmed firing sequence. We could time the firing order, and maybe use it to our advantage!" 

"Good thinking, chum," Batman said giving him a half-smile. Robin's face lit up nova-bright. "They appear to be some kind of plasma-based weapons system...probably powered by the engines." Batman and Robin exchanged a knowing glance...another piece of information they could use to their advantage! 

"Batman, what I don't understand," Robin said slowly, feeling his words, "is that if these invaders are so much more advanced than us, how can they be making such basic errors in tactics? D'you think it's some kind of trick?" Batman looked long and steadily at his young partner. 

"That's a very good question, chum. A very good question." Batman turned to go. "Keep up the good work, Titans. This information could prove valuable." Before walking out, Batman surreptitiously placed a hand on Robin's shoulder, squeezing gently, then was gone. 

Speedy watched the interplay between Batman and Robin from the sidelines a bit jealously. Speedy had always been nervous about meeting the Dark Knight. Batman just seemed so forbidding, like something out of your nightmares! But watching Batman with Robin work together made Speedy start reassessing his initial evaluation of Gotham's protector. 

There was nothing about how Batman acted around Robin that stood out and shouted, THIS IS MY KID AND I'M PROUD OF HIM! But maybe it was the very subtlety of the Dynamic Duo's relationship. Speedy recalled how Batman had chewed Robin out in public because the other Titans had been acting like immature kids. 

Speedy thought then that Batman was being unfair and acting like a jerk, but now he saw that Batman respected Robin as the Titans' leader. So, Robin's earlier butt chewing by Batman wasn't because Batman was a jerk, but because Batman felt that leaders should always be in command. 

Speedy remembered Robin's words to Wonder Girl when she'd protested against Robin getting into trouble: "That's okay...I'm responsible." Leaders were responsible for everything their teammates did or failed to do, and Robin was taking responsibility even back then. 

Speedy suddenly found himself wondering what it must be like to live under all of the restrictive rules that Robin had mentioned earlier. Most of all, he wondered what it must be like to live with and work with a man who was so obsessed with protecting you that he always expected you to be in command of yourself, your teammates, and your surroundings. 

"It must be great," Speedy said out loud. Wonder Girl turned and looked at him curiously. 

"What must be great, Roy?" She came up to him and laid her head gently on his shoulder. 

"You, of course, Wonder Doll," Speedy said smoothly, holding her closely to him. "You're the greatest, did you know that?" She rewarded him with a smile that only a teenaged girl in love for the first time in her life could give. 

Kid Flash elbowed Aqualad and pointed his chin at the two young lovers. "Mush!" he said disgustedly in low tones. Aqualad grinned in amusement. He might not know much about land dwellers, but he was learning quickly. And what Aqualad had garnered so far told him that his friend and teammate, Kid Flash was afraid of girls. Wonder Girl especially. 

"Come, my fleet-footed friend," Aqualad invited. "Let's see of what use we may be while on this 'monitor duty' that you to detest so much!" 

"Aw, come on, Gillhead! Robbie doesn't need us! He's got the whole thing under control...I mean even Batman said we were doing a good job!" 

"The key word is *we*, Wally!" Aqualad returned. "*We* haven't done a thing, yet we share in Batman's praise for Robin's work. It's time that we did something to deserve any accolades received." 

"Garth, I wish you'd speak in English," Kid Flash complained. "I can't hardly understand half the things you say!" 

"The feeling, I assure you, is mutual," Aqualad muttered. "Come. Let us assist Robin. I am most curious about his talking with his fingers." 

"What? Talking with his fingers? Gillhead, Robin's *typing* for crying out loud! That thing in front of him...the thing with all of the letters...is called a keyboard, and you *type* into it! I thought you *had* computers in Atlantis!" 

"Yes, but our data retrieval systems in Atlantis are accessed by...other means," Aqualad explained enigmatically. Kid Flash looked at him nervously. Just when you start getting comfortable around a guy, he starts acting *weird* on you! 

**** 

Chapter Eight The scout ships' almost limitless power was derived from the dark matter that comprised over 99 percent of space. This was then converted into dense, hot plasma contained in vast magnetic fields, which powered not just the ship's mighty star drive, but also its weapons systems. This made the armada of small ships, formidable indeed, for each ship was armed with literally an unlimited capacity for destruction with no living intelligence to temper its hand... 

**** 

"Bruce?" Bruce turned to see Dick, hair tousled, standing in the bedroom's open door, rubbing his eyes sleepily. 

"Dick, what are you doing out of bed? It's past two in the morning." 

"I wanted to talk to you," Dick said yawning. Bruce could see that his ward had been asleep, but must've awakened when he heard Bruce come in. Bruce immediately walked over to Dick and began steering him back to his own room. 

"Okay, we'll talk, chum, but it's back to bed for you!" 

"'Kay," Dick muttered, barely keeping his eyes open. He'd had a long day, and gladly obeyed when Bruce ordered him to bed promptly at ten p.m. The Titans were relieved from monitor duty by the Flash, and they'd all gone to the JLA Lounge to talk. Batman stopped Robin half-way there and said only one word... 

"...Curfew!" Batman's voice was unyielding. Robin's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it! Curfew? While they were on a mission with the JLA? 

"You're off duty now," Batman explained, although Robin knew he didn't have to. "You know that when we're on the job we grab sleep when it's available. It may be the last full night's sleep you get for a long, time, chum." Batman gestured with a slight nod of his head. "Bed." 

Robin looked long and hard at Batman but finally nodded. He admitted to himself that he was exhausted and could barely keep his eyes open. 

"Yes, sir," Robin said. "May I say good night to my friends?" The Dark Knight gave him a curt nod. Robin walked over to his team. "Gotta go, guys. I'll see you in the a.m. Remember we have duty from six till one tomorrow, so don't stay up too late." 

"Yes, Dad!" Speedy and Kid Flash shouted. Robin smiled, waved good night then followed Batman... 

Tucked back in bed, Dick yawned sleepily. Bruce ruffled his ward's hair playfully, then sat back patiently. 

"Now, what is it that can't wait until morning?" Bruce asked. 

Dick smiled sleepily. "It *is* morning!" 

"Touche, chum. So what's so important that it can't wait till a lot later in the morning?" Bruce asked with a half smile. 

"It's Roy," Dick answered quietly worried. 

"Roy? I thought you two ironed out your differences, Dick. I don't understand." 

"It's not about Roy and me, Bruce," Dick replied, sitting up on his elbows, his dark blue eyes looking beseechingly at his guardian. "It's about Roy...and Mister Queen." 

Bruce became very still. "Go on, chum. What about Roy and Ollie?" 

Dick shrugged. "I'm not sure, Bruce. It's just that...well, did you know that Roy doesn't have *any* rules? I mean, sometimes I feel really jealous, you know? Roy says that he has no set bedtime and can go to bed at any time he wants! And no curfew! He can stay out as late as he wants, no questions asked!" Dick's voice registered his shock at such an inconceivable amount of freedom. 

"Roy has no special homework time! He can do his homework if he feels like it, or he can blow it off! Can you b'lieve that? He can just blow off his homework! Mister Queen doesn't care!" 

Dick's blue eyes took on a bright shine, a reflection of his excitement over never having to do any homework. Imagine living like that...doing what you wanted when you wanted. Then his eyes grew worried again. That kind of freedom came at a price, though, and Dick was mature enough to realize it. 

"But it doesn't sound like a lot of fun, Bruce! Roy says Mister Queen leaves him alone for days, even weeks at a time! And it isn't like when you go away...I have Alfred to look after me. Roy doesn't have *anybody*, Bruce! He's left alone! By himself! And he's only a year older'n me!" Dick's forehead furrowed with concern for his friend. 

"Bruce, I'm really worried. Can't you do something? Talk to Mister Queen maybe? It just isn't right, Bruce! Roy's just a kid! He needs somebody to take care of him! Like you and Alfred take care of me!" 

Bruce felt his chest tighten at Dick's last comment. What could he do, he wondered? He'd be involving himself in Ollie's personal family business. Something that Bruce, himself, drew lines on the sand with and refused to allow anyone to cross. Bruce gave Dick a confident half-smile, then drew the covers closer around his boy's neck. 

"Okay, chum. I'll talk to Ollie, but I can't make any promises." 

"I knew you would, Bruce! And I'm not worried, 'cause I know that if you talk to Mister Queen, everything will be all right." He gave his guardian a sleepy smile, and slowly began to drop off, a heavy weight off his shoulders. 

"Good night, chum." 

"G'night, Bruce." 

**** 

Atom and the Flash were monitoring when the Titans reported in. 

"Look, kids, we've got it," Atom said. "Why don't you go explore the station or something? I promise, if we need you, we'll holler!" 

Robin and the rest of the Titans looked at each other in mild annoyance. They'd just been dismissed from what was essentially bonehead duty. The Titans had only served one tour on monitor duty, and the JLA was already replacing them. 

"'Go explore the station, or something!'" Kid Flash mimicked. "What does he think we are? Tourists?" The young speedster looked disgusted. "And Uncle Barry! He just let that super-gnat talk to us like that! Boy!" He kicked at an imaginary tin can. 

"Chill, Twinkletoes," Robin said. "Haven't you heard? If you get a bunch of lemons, make lemonade!" 

"Huh?" Kid Flash and others looked at their young leader curiously. 

"Like the man said," Robin began "let's 'go explore the station!'" 

The Titans followed their leader, albeit a bit reluctantly. 

**** 

"Whoa..." whispered Kid Flash, his eyes huge at what lay before them. "Where *are* we?" 

"Great Hera!" 

"Suffering swordfish!" 

"*Way* cool, Batboy!" Speedy said. "How'd you know of this place?" 

"I read the satellite's specs," Robin replied sardonically. "Anyway, I thought since we might have to fight a space battle, the Titans should do a little training...just in case!" 

"You mean, *fly* one of these?" Kid Flash zipped excitedly through the myriad JLA cruisers sitting quietly in the launch bay. 

"No, I don't *mean* fly one of these," Robin answered. "At least, not literally." 

"What do you mean, Robbie?" asked Wonder Girl. 

"The flight simulator. I've clocked about two hundred hours on the sim back in the cave, and--" 

"You Batguys have a flight simulator?" Speedy asked amazed. 

"Of course, how else can we stay current? I mean, we don't fly the Batwing *every* night! That's how Batman trained me." At their looks, he added exasperatedly, "Well, how else could I have earned my pilot's license? You don't think Batman just handed me the Batwing's controls and said, 'Here kid...Go for it?'" 

The others stared at him. 

"You have a pilot's license?" Kid Flash asked in small voice. 

"Batboy, what other little secret talents do you have?" Speedy asked. His voice actually sounded admiring. 

"I don't know...just whatever's necessary for the job." Robin gave his teammates an "It's no big deal" shrug. "Anyway, I've logged a coupla hundred hours on the JLA cruiser. In the sim, anyway, not the real thing. But it's just like the real thing...believe me! The couple of times I flamed out, I really expected Batman to carry me out in pieces!" He grinned at his team. 

"So, who wants go first?" The Titans practically buried Robin as they all rushed forward. 

**** 

"All right, team...let's see what we've got. Wonder Girl, it's my understanding that you've clocked some hours on Wonder Woman's invisible plane?" 

Wonder Girl nodded. "Yes, Robbie, but Diana's plane isn't like one of these! It's powered entirely by will power. There aren't any manual controls, per se. The plane is a sort of extension of Diana's psyche. It listens to me only because Diana commanded it to." 

"Gotcha, WG," Robin nodded, "but you at least have an idea of flying...and I don't mean the kind of flying that you can do on air currents without a plane, either! Aqualad, you've operated underwater submersibles haven't you?" 

"Indeed, Robin," Aqualad nodded. "But I do not understand how that might be of help?" 

"Well, flying a spacecraft is similar to operating an underwater craft. You have a definite movement in two dimensions like surface craft have, but more importantly you also have the added up and down dimension. So, underwater, just as in space, your movements are three-dimensional. You must remain aware of your X, Y, and Z-axis at all times." He looked at the others. "Follow me?" 

Speedy nodded curtly, Wonder Girl a little uncertainly, Aqualad calmly, and Kid Flash looked lost. 

"What's an axis?" Kid Flash asked. Robin sighed. 

"What's the highest math level you've taken, Twinkletoes?" Robin asked gently. 

"I'm repeating pre-Algebra," he confessed, eyes downcast. 

"Hey, that's okay, Wally," Robin reassured him, his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I can always use someone else on weapons, and you sure have the fastest reflexes of any of us! Right team?" 

"Right!" "No, prob, Flasheroo!" 

Kid Flash gave them a bright smile, completely clueless as to what Robin or the others were referring. 

"Now, before I let you enter the sim, I'm gonna give you a down and dirty briefing on aerodynamics, the problems with Newton's Laws, and why falling is a good thing in space!" Giving his team a cursory nod, he turned and led them all into the JLA pre-flight briefing room. 

**** 

"Are there any questions?" Robin asked. The others shook their heads blearily. It was past lunchtime! Robin had lectured since almost seven that morning. They'd sent Kid Flash on a breakfast run, and he'd returned with enough milk and donuts to give them all cavities for life. Robin noticed that his gloves still had powered sugar residue on the fingertips. 

"Okay, why don't we take ten...when we come back, I'll take each of you through the sim. I'd like all of us in the crew sim. That way, we can start learning to operate one of these things as a team, rather than as individual fighter pilots." 

"But, Robin, wouldn't our firepower be increased if we all learned to pilot one of the cruisers individually?" asked Aqualad. 

"That's a good question, Garth. I think it all depends on what we want. Do we want to be a team, and cover each others' weaknesses, or do we want to seek some kind of personal glory?" He looked at the others as if the question was one they'd each have to answer for themselves. 

"The way *I* see it, none of is good enough to pilot one of these crafts on our own...at least not yet. But we each have strengths that can be integrated so that we can at least operate one viable fighter. I already have a pilot's license, and I've clocked the most hours on one of the sims. Even if I weren't the Titan's leader, I'd still say that I was the only choice for pilot." Robin's tone wasn't boastful. He was merely stating a fact. 

"Wonder Girl has flown before and she has a natural instinct for maneuvering in three-dimensions. She's the perfect choice for co-pilot. What she's done before with mental commands, I can help her translate to the hand controls. Aqualad, has operated underwater vessels and he's a natural at navigation." Robin looked at Aqualad, then added with a slight grin, "We'll count on you not to get us 'Lost in Space!'" Aqualad looked at Robin strangely, clearly not understanding the joke. Robin cleared his throat. "Never mind." He pointed at Speedy and Kid Flash. 

"Speedy's deadly accurate with just about anything that he can point, shoot, or throw, which makes him the natural choice at the weapons station! And like I said before, Wally, too, because of his reflexes; furthermore, because of his speed, Kid Flash can also double at communications and sensors, and just about anything else that we can't cover." 

Robin looked at each member of his team. "So you see, 'Titans Together' is more than just a motto! It's how we fight." He held their gaze a moment longer, then smiling dismissed them. "Take a break, Titans!" 

**** 

"Forward sensors detect five...no six...make that *ten* bogies!" the junior speedster's young voice cracked under the pressure. "*Ten* bogies on a heading of...six-oh-four-MARK-eight!" 

"What's their ETA," Robin asked patiently. This was the third run and Kid Flash still forgot to give all of the necessary information. 

"ETA is...where is it?" Kid Flash muttered nervously, anger directed at himself. "So stupid, stupid, stupid...There! ETA is twenty-minutes forty-five seconds!" 

Kid Flash was interrupted by the sound of klaxons going off inside the simulator. EndEx! 

"Already?" Kid Flash asked dazedly. "But we just *found* them!" 

Robin removed his headset and placed it carefully on the control console. "Okay, team! Briefing room for a fifteen minute hotwash!" A hotwash was a debriefing where each team member was given an opportunity to give his or her personal assessment on their performance as a team and as individuals. 

Robin's announcement was met with groans from the others. This had been the pattern for the entire afternoon. The teens would go through a SimEx, then discuss their performance during a hotwash immediately following EndEx. This way their actions were still fresh in their minds, and they were able to recall what they did and why they did it. The first two hotwashes had almost turned into heated arguments between Kid Flash and Speedy, but Aqualad and Robin were able to defuse the situation each time. 

"I don't get it, Boy Wonder!" Kid Flash complained. "We just got started and the program calls it quits!" 

"We've been at it for almost an hour, Fleetfeet," replied Robin with a smile. 

"No kidding! An hour?" Kid Flash sound amazed. "Wow! It seems like we just got started!" 

**** 

"All right, team, overall there was a definite learning curve on *that* one! We took a little longer to find the enemy, but we were also given much more difficult search parameters that time. Twinkletoes...good job on sensors! I checked the JLA's best time on this particular little SimEx." He paused dramatically. "We beat them by eight point three seconds!" 

The others cheered at their accomplishment. Speedy slapped Kid Flash on the back. 

"Great job, hayseed!" 

"Thanks, Arrow-boy." **** 

"WG! Break right!" The Titans felt themselves being spun violently to the right, until the inertial dampeners kicked in. "Another one like that--" Suddenly, Robin's console exploded in his face, and an automated voice came online. 

"Pilot dead. Co-pilot take control." Robin lay back, eyes closed simulating death. He knew this was going to happen, of course, since he had selected the SimEx specifically to give Wonder Girl the training necessary to take over in case it were ever needed. However, he hadn't counted on Wonder Girl's reaction. 

"Robbie! Great Hera! Robbie! Roy, Wally! Help him! He's hurt! He's hurt!" Suddenly the ship was rocked by plasma-based fire from the enemy vessels, and the sim spectacularly went up in a show of pyrotechnics! 

When the smoke finally cleared, Robin opened one eye and looked up at Wonder Girl. "Not exactly the reaction I expected from an Amazon warrior princess!" She gave him a chagrinned look. Robin sat up suddenly. "Well, before we go anywhere or do anything, it looks like we're gonna have to apply a little elbow grease here." 

The Titans all looked around the simulator. The smell of burnt circuits permeated the small enclosure. The bulkheads were blackened by smoke residue, and the teens themselves had various degrees of soot on their faces and uniforms. 

"Hell of a simulation," Speedy muttered. 

**** 

"Okay, team...I think that's enough for now. I say we take a dinner break, then report back at nineteen hundred hours." Robin looked around at the blank faces. "Sorry, seven p.m." The others nodded tiredly. As Wonder Girl passed him, Robin stopped her. "WG, can we talk?" 

Wonder Girl gave him a guilty look, but nodded. 

"Roy, can I take a rain check for dinner?" she asked. Speedy ran his fingers lightly down her cheek and nodded smiling. Wonder Girl returned the smile. Since Roy and Dick had reconciled their differences she and Speedy had had no further arguments. 

Robin led Wonder Girl back into the debriefing room. They sat down across from each other and neither said a word for a long moment. Finally, Robin broke the silence. 

"Care to talk about it?" he asked. Wonder Girl looked down at the conference table unable to meet his intense glance. Swallowing a couple of times, she got her nerves under control and began to speak. Once she started, the words just sort of seemed to spill out of her. 

"Robbie, I blew it! If I'd really been in command of the ship at the time, I could've gotten the entire team killed!" She looked ready to burst into tears. "I can't have that on my shoulders. Robbie you've gotta replace me with one of the others. I just can't cut it!" 

Robin studied the young Amazon wondering what was the best tack. Coming to a decision, he nodded. "All right, Wonder Girl if that's how you feel." Wonder Girl nodded, her eyes downcast. "I mean, if you don't think that you can carry your weight, well, yeah, I guess I don't want you on team at all." Wonder Girl looked up startled, her blue eyes hurt. 

"Robbie, I didn't say I wanted off the Titans, just--" 

"--just didn't want your responsibilities, is that it. Just let you hang with the boys, and knock out a few crooks with your mean right hook, but don't expect you to grow as a superhero. Don't expect you to develop into someone who can rival Diana as an Amazon warrior in Man's world?" 

"No! Robbie, that's not true! I just know my limitations! When I saw you lying there hurt, maybe dead...I couldn't function. I froze! All I could think of was that you were hurt...my best friend...my brother!" Wonder Girl's tears started then. "Robbie, I don't have very many people in my life whom I love...truly love. I couldn't bear to lose you. Not now...not when we just found out what we mean to each other!" 

She cried softly for a few minutes unable to speak. Finally, gaining control of her voice, Wonder Girl continued. 

"What if something like this really happens? What if you or Roy or one of the others is seriously injured or killed during a mission? I don't know if I could continue...I just don't know!" 

Robin stood up and walked around to her side of the table. He gently took her hand and pulled her up to him, holding her closely until her sobs quieted. Taking the end of his cape, Robin lightly wiped Wonder Girl's tears. As he did so, he was rewarded with a tremulous smile from Wonder Girl. He leaned back slightly and returned her smile still holding her closely. 

"Donna, there's nothing I can say that'll make this any easier for you. The only advice I can give is what I live by. I know that without me and Batman doing what we do, the crazies and wackos that Gotham just seems to be a magnet for would eventually overrun the city. Maybe, we'll never win our war against those who prey on the innocent, but I know that win or lose, we'll continue that fight. And if anything should happen to one of us, then I'd expect the other to go on, in memory of the one lost." Robin dropped his hands and moved a few paces away from his friend. 

"The same is true for us, Donna. Maybe what we do won't make any difference. Maybe this *is* the end of everything like Wally said. But that doesn't mean that we just quit and don't try to do something. Donna, if something were to happen to me, then I'd want you to go on, because that's what I'd do. To quit because one of us falls would be the greater tragedy, because then the other's sacrifice would've been for nothing." Robin walked back to Donna, and again took her in his arms. 

"Donna, you're an Amazon warrior. You've been trained in the arts of war. You know more about tactics and strategy than any of the rest of us combined. We need you on our team, Princess. *I* need you on my team. Because if anything should happen to me, then there's only *one* person that I'd trust to take over as team leader." He smiled and touched her playfully on the nose. "And that's you, my little Amazon sister!" 

Wonder Girl's luminous smile finally broke through her tears. She threw her arms around Robin's neck, and forgetting her strength again squeezed a little too hard. 

"Donna," Robin choked. "My neck..." Wonder Girl immediately let go and clapped her hands over her mouth. Robin collapsed onto the nearest chair. He rubbed his neck ruefully, looking at his "little sister." Finally, they both burst into laughter again. "Great, I've been an only child all of my life, and as soon as I get a sister, she almost kills me!" 

Wonder Girl looked like she was going to hug Robin again, but he jumped to his feet, and effortlessly vaulted over the conference table in one graceful move. Landing on the other side, he smiled wickedly at Wonder Girl and playfully held his hands out in a warding sign. 

"Oh, no, you don't WG...you'll have to catch me first!" With that he turned and ducked out the exit. When Wonder Girl ran out after him, she couldn't spot him at first. Movement up on the rafters caught her eyes. "You'll never catch me!" Robin's playful taunt echoed through the cavernous launch bay. 

"Oh, no?" Wonder Girl giggled. She reached her hand up, searching for an air current. 

Anyone passing by in the next few minutes would've been rewarded by the unusual sounds of what sounded like children's voices raised in playful laughter... 

**** 

Chapter Nine 

The mother ship's AI again transmitted a complicated series of numerical sequences to the third planet from the yellow star. The lack of response portended the ominous probability that the intelligence detected by the ship's sensors had met the Krghlm, the same spacefaring race that destroyed the ship's home world a hundred hundred millennia in the dark past. 

If that were the case, then the scouts' intelligence gathering mission automatically became one of search and destroy, for the mother ship's builders' final quest was the utter destruction of the Krghlm and its descendants... 

**** 

"Green Arrow." GA turned at the grim voice coming from the shadows in the JLA Lounge. Batman slowly emerged into the muted lighting. It was "nighttime" on the satellite. The lights were thus lowered to simulate day/night conditions. Batman stood half in/half out of the darkness. 

"Batman?" Green Arrow squinted at the Dark Knight. "What do you want? Look, I'm in a hurry!" GA barked these staccato sentences impatiently, then asked almost in the same breath, "Hey, you haven't seen Speedy have you?" 

Batman saw immediately that GA was beside himself with worry. 

"This is the third night he hasn't slept in his bed...or is it the fourth?" Green Arrow muttered to himself. "I should *know* dammit! He's my *kid*! I've gotta find him..." he shook his head. "Why am I standing here talking to *you*? I've gotta find my boy! Tell 'im how I feel...that it's not the way he thinks it is! Dinah and me...what we have is good, but it doesn't mean--" 

Green Arrow stood in the middle of the room looking lost, then spoke softly. "It doesn't mean that I don't love him, too." 

"Let's go." Batman spun on his heel and led Green Arrow out of the lounge. GA took a second before he realized that Batman wanted him to follow. By then, the Caped Crusader was halfway down the outside corridor. GA ran to catch up. 

"Where're we goin'?" GA demanded. 

No answer. 

"LOOK!! I told you I don't have time for this!" GA stopped in his tracks. "Now tell me where we're going or--" 

"Here," Batman said quietly. He stood solemnly and pressed for the express elevator to the Forward Observation Deck. "Come." 

GA reluctantly followed. There was no conversation between the two heroes to shatter the elevator's eerie silence as it rose through the satellite's multilevels. Finally, it halted and the door automatically opened onto the Forward Observation Deck. 

GA gasped at the initial shock of seemingly standing at the edge of eternity. Batman quickly made a slashing motion signaling for quiet. Then he pointed at a small, dark form, curled and sound asleep on the middle of the transparent floor. Batman waited for Green Arrow to recognize his ward. 

Before GA could move towards Speedy, Batman pressed the "door closed" button. GA turned in fury on the Dark Knight. 

"What's the idea?! That's *Roy* lying there! I've gotta go to him! Get out of my way, you pointy-eared night rat!" 

"That's how you always have your way, isn't it, Ollie? By yelling louder and more obnoxiously than the next guy. By pushing people around...giving orders...insulting everyone within hearing distance, and taking shots at those who aren't around. I've ignored you in the past because I thought you were basically harmless, and did a good job when the going got tough." 

GA pushed by Batman, infuriated with his teammate for keeping him from his boy. 

"I don't need to listen to this! I've a kid in there who's hurting...I've gotta get to him before it's too late!" 

"You're right. Roy *is* hurting, and you do need to talk. But what are you going to talk about, Ollie? About what great pals you are and how things will be the same or better when you get him back home?" 

"MYOB, Batman! This is none of your concern! I don't tell you how to treat *your* kid...Stay out of my affairs!" 

"Is it true that you allow that boy to run around at all hours of the night? That you have left him alone without adult supervision for days, sometimes weeks at a time? The list of parental neglect just keeps piling Ollie...Do I need to spell each of them out for you?" 

"Who are *you* to talk to me about how to raise *my* kid? I've heard how you've practically put a straightjacket on Robin...everything he does is regulated, from what time he eats to what time he brushes his teeth! I may be a bit permissive with Roy, but at least I'm not raising him to be a little tin soldier who's incapable of thinking for himself!" 

"Permissive? Is that what the Star City Child Welfare Services calls child neglect today?" 

Green Arrow's face turned an apoplectic purple. "How DARE YOU?!!! How dare you accuse me of child neglect! Who elected you the World's Greatest Dad? Look at you! It's a wonder Robin doesn't wake up each night screaming from nightmares!" 

"He does," Batman spoke so quietly GA almost didn't hear him. 

"What did you say?" 

Batman faced GA without flinching. "I said, Robin wakes up on any given night screaming from nightmares. He dreams about his parents' deaths...They were killed in front of him when he was only nine. He's gotten better, though. He used to wake up several times a night. Either a trusted friend or myself used to sit by Robin's bedside, ready to hold him until he was able to go back to sleep. Now, Robin's sleep is disrupted only once or twice a week. Most nights, he sleeps through." Batman spoke softly, matter-of-factly, but GA could hear a catch his voice. 

"Bats, I'm sorry. I didn't know...I was a jerk to say what I did." Green Arrow looked at his boots, ashamed of his earlier sarcasm. 

"No. You were right. I'm not the World's Greatest Dad...far from it. I over regulate Robin's waking hours in order to keep his mind occupied so that he won't sit and brood or over-train. I know how easy it can be for a person to fall into a dark abyss." Batman paused, and if it were possible, his voice dropped even lower. 

"When Robin first came to live with me, I used to find him in the Batcave at all hours of the day or night, training. His acrobatics were world-class when I first saw him. Now, he was in a class by himself...even I couldn't touch him in certain areas. He proved to be a gifted, natural athlete with a razor-sharp intellect. He was obsessed with finding his parents' killers and begged me to make him my partner. Robin was only nine, and already driven by vengeance." Batman turned away from Green Arrow, the pain of those early days evident in his stiff posture. 

"With his gifts, Robin would've found his parents' murderer on his own, and possibly gotten himself killed. I felt that I had no choice; therefore, I agreed to train him and take him on as my partner. But only under certain conditions...that *I* made the rules and that he obeyed them without question. And until *I* said he was ready, he would not take up the mantle...again, no questions asked!" 

Batman sighed softly, and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, I over-regulate Robin's life, but he's learned to be a kid again. Part of the rules he must follow are to take part in personal outside activities that have nothing to do with being Robin." Batman allowed himself a half-smile. 

"So, I've been coerced into attending several Gotham Knights' at home games, dirt biking, rock climbing, and even just the two of us playing hooky for a day and taking off from work and school. Robin's no longer obsessed with revenge, and he's even learned to have fun. More importantly, the nightmares have almost stopped." Batman glared intensely into GA's eyes. 

"Nonetheless, Robin is *never* left alone. He may be a kid superhero who can take down bad guys at twenty-to-one odds, but he's still just a boy, little more than a child...but more importantly, he's *my* child! I'm responsible for him. Ollie, it takes more than love to raise a kid. A child also needs guidance. He needs boundaries that he knows he's not allowed to step over. Rules aren't straightjackets, Ollie. They're like the walls in your home...they're there to protect you and make you feel safe. A child needs to feel safe." 

GA felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Roy was only a year older than Robin, and GA had been leaving Speedy alone almost since the time he'd gained custody of the boy. He was astounded at the personal revelations that Batman had professed, and knew they came at a high price. Batman risked giving GA such an intimate portrait of his personal relationship with his protege, because he wanted GA to change his methods of child rearing. 

"Ollie, there a lot of people on this satellite who care about Roy and his welfare. But there's only one person onboard whom *Roy* cares about and depends on. And from what I've seen, that person has failed Roy in too many ways to count." 

Batman didn't add that he foresaw serious trouble ahead for Speedy if Green Arrow didn't do something quickly. Sadly, it might already be too late. 

GA nodded. Perhaps he had been a little too lax. He looked at Batman, then dropped his eyes. 

"Bats, thanks for finding my kid," he said softly. Batman gave no acknowledgement. He pressed the "door open" button, instead. Green Arrow stood at the lip of the door, just watching Roy for a few minutes. God, the kid had grown in the two years he'd lived with GA, but he was *still* so small! GA stepped stiffly out of the elevator and walked quietly to the sleeping form. 

Batman closed the doors on the private moment and pressed for home. Did I make a difference, he asked himself? For Roy's sake, he hoped so. 

**** 

Green Arrow knelt carefully next to Speedy. He wanted so desperately to take the boy in his arms and promise him the world. But Batman's words haunted him. How could he make it all up to the kid? GA didn't know how to be anything other than who he was. He'd honestly thought that that was enough. He remembered his parents and his own childhood...not much love there. 

Green Arrow snorted softly at the unhappy memories. Not much of anything, in fact. His father had been obsessed with making money and his mother with Star City society. Their busy lives didn't leave much room for one small boy, so his parents did what they thought was best. 

"Yeah, best for them," muttered GA. They sent him away to the best boarding schools in Europe. 

**** 

"But *why* do I have to go away?" six-year-old Ollie Queen looked solemnly up at his father. "Why can't I stay with you and Mother?" Despite his best efforts, little Oliver's lower lip began quivering. 

"Now, Ollie, none of that, young man!" Oliver Queen, Sr. admonished. "Stiff upper lip! You must face this like a man! Remember, men don't cry, right?" 

Unable to speak, Ollie nodded, then to his eternal shame, the tears spilled of their own accord. He tried to sniff them back, hoping that Father didn't notice, but it was too late. 

"Young man, to your room without supper! When you're ready to continue this discussion intelligently like a man, you may come out, but not until then!" 

**** "Monsieur and Madame Queen," Monsieur Montblanc, Headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy said regretfully, "I am sorry, but we can no longer tolerate the antics of young Oliver. He is...how do you say it? All boy!" Montblanc smiled benignly. "The entire staff has a soft spot for the boy, so it is with great regret that we must do this, but our school has a reputation to maintain. Please understand." 

"No!" Queen, Sr. protested vehemently. "I don't understand. What did my son do to get him expelled from your lousy, drafty school?" 

Montblanc stiffened immediately at the insult to his school. "Your son, Monsieur Queen, reached new lows of what one can only describe as debauchery! I shall not give you a detailed list of all of his past rules violations; however, I *shall* fill you in on the last one..." 

"...Boozing! Girls! Partying to all hours of the night! Dancing naked on the balcony! Skinny-dipping in the five hundred-year-old fountain with the statue of Saint Thomas?" Queen, Sr. ranted at his son for the better part of an hour. Ollie was kicked back on his bunk. He didn't care. 

"Yeah," Ollie smirked. "That was the mother of *all* parties, Father! Sorry, you couldn't make it." 

Queen, Sr. looked ready to strike his sixteen-year-old son. This was the eighth school in ten years that Ollie had been expelled from. Queen, Sr. turned to his wife. "*You* talk to him...He's *your* son!" 

Katherine Queen looked distastefully at her husband. "Of course, he's my son. Every time he gets himself expelled from yet another school, he's my son. Whenever he does something well--" She glared at her unrepentant son. "--which is hardly ever, Ollie becomes *your* son!" 

"I love you, too, Mater mine," Ollie returned unconcernedly. 

"Oh!" Katherine sputtered wordlessly at her recalcitrant son. "Sometimes I wish you'd never been born!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Katherine wanted to take them back. The look of abject hurt that instantly crossed her son's face was enough to break her heart. "Oh, Ollie, I didn't mean that...Please, forgive me." 

Ollie dropped his eyes and refused to look at her. He sat very still on the edge of the bed, then slowly nodded. "Very well, Mother. I forgive you...but, Mother, truth be told...sometimes *I* wish that I'd never been born." 

Katherine made a move to go to her son, but Ollie jumped up and moved away. "Don't start, Mother. It's too late for us. Even five years ago I would've welcomed it, but not any more." Ollie felt the years of loneliness suddenly settle on his shoulders, and his next words rang with bitterness. 

"You and Father have never loved me. You've done your duty by me, for that I guess I should be grateful. Queen, Inc. needed an heir and you dutifully provided Father with one. Then, I was tucked away, out of sight, out of mind so that you could pursue your various clubs and committees, and Father could keep making Queen, Inc. the company that will take over the world one day." 

Ollie turned and faced his two parents. "You have your plans for me...*I* have my own plans. I won't cause anymore trouble...you have my word. But please, don't ever pretend that you actually have real feelings for me. I'm just another asset in Queen, Inc.'s credit column, I know that. So go ahead and stick me in some other school...I promise you won't see or hear from me until I graduate." 

"*You* graduate? I should live that long!" Queen, Sr. guffawed. 

"You've got yourself a bet, Pater mine! I earn my diploma, you finance my travels to wherever I wish to go, for as long as I wish to travel!" 

"Easiest bet I've ever won!" Queen declared... 

**** 

"I guess I was expelled out of more schools in more countries than any other member in the JLA!" GA grinned ruefully. 

During Ollie's last three years of school he had only one escape, which became his life's obsession: archery. When to his parents' surprise, Ollie finally graduated from high school, rather than returning to Star City and taking up his life's role as the scion of Queen, Inc., Ollie collected on his bet with his father and decided not to return home. 

Instead, happy with the independence he'd learned by being away from home for twelve years, Ollie traveled around the world, visiting some of the globe's worst troubled spots and secretly becoming an adventurer, aiding the weak and oppressed... 

"...Son, when are you coming home?" Queen, Sr.'s voice asked over the phone. The old guy sounds like he actually misses me, Ollie mused. 

"When hell freezes over, Father. We had a bet and I won. But don't worry, you and Mother don't need to think of me except once a month when you write the check..." 

Both of his parents were killed in an automobile accident the next day. A Mack truck whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel struck their limo head on. Shattered by his last unkind words to his Father, Ollie returned to Star City and took his rightful place as CEO of Queen, Inc. He soon found out about a mysterious vigilante in Gotham City called the Batman, and learned everything he could about the Dark Knight. 

Inspired by the Batman and all of his neat toys, Ollie decided to emulate his hero. Green Arrow debuted in Star City within a few short months. And a few months later, a young, cocky redheaded kid with a moth-eaten quiver, and the raggediest bow GA have ever laid eyes on, began appearing wherever GA stopped a crime. 

The kid had the moves all right. His bow and quiver might've been ready for the junk heap, but he could cock, pull, and release almost as fast as GA could. And the boy's accuracy was uncanny! He *never* missed! 

**** 

"Hey, kid!" Green Arrow yelled, trying to get the mysterious boy's attention, but the boy was gone again! That was the third time this week, an exasperated GA said to himself. 

"Who *is* that kid?" GA wondered aloud. He found out the next day, or rather, Oliver Queen found out. 

"Sir, you have an unannounced visitor." 

"Oh?" Ollie looked up from the documents he'd been perusing. He decided that he needed a break. "Well, send him in, Jeeves!" Ollie teased. His butler gave a long-suffering sigh. 

"That's Smith, sir. Quite an ordinary name, sir. I dearly wish you could remember it." As Smith turned away, Ollie smiled. Smith had been his parents' personal valet, and Ollie had more or less inherited him. Ollie remembered Smith as someone who'd been a friend to a lonely little boy who always seemed to be underfoot all those years ago. 

Ollie's face took on a worried countenance. Smith was getting on in years, and his health had recently begun to fail him. What would Ollie do without him? Once Smith was gone, Ollie would be all alone. The thought made him profoundly sad. 

Smith returned and announced the visitor, "Master Roy Harper!" 

Standing at the door to Ollie's study was the skinny, redheaded kid who'd been showing up at the same places that he did! Ollie's eyes showed his surprise. The kid had tracked him to his home! Ollie studied the boy carefully. He had a headband with a feather stuck in it, and he was wearing buckskins that had seen better days. He was still carrying his quiver and bow. 

Deciding to play it coy, Ollie asked blandly, "How may I help you?" 

The boy gave him answering smirk, exuding arrogance. "Wrong question, GA! It's how may I help *you*!" 

Ollie quirked a blond eyebrow. "GA? I think you have me confused with someone else, young man." 

"I don't think so," Roy said. "See I followed ya...tracked ya, Native American style! You really should be more careful. I doubt if Batman would've let me. Hell, he probably would've backtracked and ended up following *me*!" 

"You're Native American?" Ollie asked, eyeing the dark red hair and green eyes skeptically. 

Roy's eyes darkened bitterly. "I *thought* I was. Until my stepfather, Chief Bow died. When he passed away, the tribe disowned me. Said I was an outsider...white-eyes." Roy looked intensely at Ollie, his hurt still evident at being abandoned by the people he thought were his family. 

"In answer to your question. I *am* Native American, because that's how I was raised, and that's how I feel inside. But my biological roots are Irish." 

"I see," Ollie murmured, an idea taking form. Didn't Batman just take on a kid partner? Wouldn't that be a kicker? Green Arrow and--? And who? It didn't matter. They'd think of a name later. 

"So, Roy, what *can* you do for me?" Ollie asked. Roy gave him that brazen smirk again. 

"I don't suppose you've heard about Batman and Robin...his new kid partner?" Roy asked as preamble. At Ollie's guileless nod, Roy continued, "Well, I was thinking. If Batman can have that little kid in the cornball costume as a partner, then..." 

**** 

It all happened so quickly then. Oliver Queen dutifully took in Roy Harper and became his legal guardian. As Green Arrow and Speedy, they took the criminal element in Star City by storm... 

"Speedy?!" Roy protested. "What kind of a dorky name is *that*? It sounds like I'm gonna be the Flash's sidekick! I was kind of hoping for Red Arrow, or something cool like that." 

"Aw, don't be silly. That would sound too much like Green Arrow, Junior! I can't call you Robin, like in Robin Hood, 'cause the name's already taken. And let's face it, kid. When it comes to archery...you *are* Speedy! You cock your arrow, acquire a target, and shoot so fast, I almost can't see your hands move. Plus, you must have the deadliest eye I've *ever* run across! Where'd you learn to shoot like that anyway?" 

"On the reservation, we couldn't afford to shoot an arrow and miss. We hunted for food. Our lives literally depended on our accuracy with the bow and arrow. Chief Bow raised me and trained me on the way of the arrow." Roy shrugged. "I don't know any other way to shoot." 

"Well, look, Speedy. Rule Number One in the superhero biz...no killing! So, before you go out with me, you're gonna have to do some serious retraining." Roy looked like he was going to balk at the restriction. "Hey, that's the deal! Whaddaya say, kid?" 

Roy agreed reluctantly. Two days later, he disobeyed orders and saved Ollie's life... 

"I thought I ordered you to stay home!?" Green Arrow's nose was less than two inches from Speedy's. His angry voice caused several turned heads from shocked bystanders. 

"I seem to recall you saying something like that, GA," Speedy replied unperturbed. "First rule of being a follower...never obey a stupid order! You taught me that!" 

Green Arrow's moved his jaw without being able to form any words. Finally, he guffawed at being caught in his own petard. 

"You're right, kid! I *did* say that!" GA laughed, slapping the younger boy between the shoulders. "Second rule of the day...follow the last intelligent order given!" Both GA and Speedy burst into laughter, sharing a moment of macho male bonding. They climbed into their Arrowcar and quickly returned home... 

Since then, Ollie had given the boy pretty much free rein. Green Arrow might be the senior partner, but Speedy went his own way. Most of the times, his instincts were correct, so GA began giving the boy more and more freedom. 

Finally, the boy's free rein naturally extended to their private lives. Before he knew it, Ollie was the legal guardian of a fourteen year old hellion who was failing most of his subjects in school, partied all night with his friends (whoever they were), and stayed home alone whenever Green Arrow or Oliver Queen were called away on business. 

Around this time, failing health finally forced Smith to retire, and Roy was really left home alone... 

**** 

Green Arrow reached out and lightly lay his hand on Speedy's shoulder. Speedy's eyes immediately snapped open! He rolled left, kicked out with both feet, and almost took out Green Arrow. However, GA instinctively ducked just as Speedy kicked out, and therefore, he was just grazed. The major force of the kick missed. 

Realizing who he was fighting with, Speedy stopped his attack. He remained crouched in a defensive pose, however. His breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. 

"What do *you* want, Ollie? I thought I told you to stay away from me?" 

Green Arrow nodded. "I seem to recall you saying something like that, kid," GA said with a sad smile. "First rule of being the senior partner...You don't have to follow orders. I thought I taught you that!" GA held his hands out and shook his head. 

"I'm afraid that I can't leave you alone, kid. Not like this. We're gonna talk. I mean really talk. And we're gonna listen to each other. And we're gonna try to fix whatever's wrong between us." 

"Why, Ollie? Why do you care so much all of a sudden? Is it because Dinah left you? Are you suddenly feeling alone? Left out? Well, guess what, Ollie? That's how I've been feeling a lot lately. Wait a while...it'll get worse!" 

"That's what we need to talk about, kid. How we feel. Okay, you've told me how *you* feel. Now, it's my turn." GA stood up and faced his ward. He struggled for the words that were lodged in his throat. He clenched and unclenched his fist. 

"I feel like the lowest kind pond scum, Roy. I've been a lousy partner, and a worse f-fa-father. I guess I just didn't have any good role models in my life, so I started by making the same mistakes they did. Roy, I admit I suck in the parent department, but I-I love you, kid. I couldn't live with myself if we parted with angry, hurtful words that neither of us meant." GA took a step closer to Speedy. 

"The same kind of words that I said to my parents when they asked me to come home for the last time. They were dead the next day. I was never able to unsay those words." GA held his hand out to Speedy. "Please, Roy. Give me another chance. I don't promise that I'll ever be the perfect father, but I'll do my best to do better." 

Speedy stood uncertainly in the middle of the vast universe, his eyes studying GA's red boots, boots that except for the color were identical to his yellow ones. His eyes traveled up GA's uniform. The Green and red Robin Hood uniform was identical to Speedy's red and yellow one. 

In fact, GA and Speedy were so much alike that it was amazing they'd only met two years before. They even tilted their heads to one side and placed their hands on their hips in identical poses. Wonder Girl teased Speedy about that not too long ago. 

Speedy's heart listened to Green Arrow's words: "Roy, I admit I suck in the parent department, but I-I love you, kid." Speedy felt the tears start spilling, his chin quivered slightly. He felt thankful that it was so dark in the observatory that GA wouldn't be able to see. To his surprise it was too late. 

Green Arrow was suddenly hugging Speedy closely to him, and Speedy could feel GA's own hot tears on his neck. Finally, the two superheroes reluctantly broke the embrace, but GA still kept his hands protectively on Speedy's shoulders. He grinned ruefully at his ward, and playfully wiped the boy's tears from his cheeks. 

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that real superheroes don't cry?" 

"Oh, yeah?" Speedy asked, sniffling and laughing at the same time. "Didn't anyone ever tell *you*?" 

Green Arrow studied his young ward affectionately. "Yeah, but the man didn't know what he was talking about." Placing his arm warmly across Speedy's shoulder, Green Arrow began steering him towards the elevator. "Come on, kid. It's been a long night." 

**** 

Chapter Ten 

The Krghlm's vicious raids left a swath of annihilated star systems across innumerable galaxies and billions of light years of space. The race of people who built the leviathan mother ship fought the Krghlm for countless generations after their world was destroyed. The last of the ship's builders breathed his last over a millennium ago... 

**** 

"We're receiving something, Clark," Atom said. "It's a repeating string of numerical sequences, but neither Barry nor I can make heads or tails of it. We've run it through the JLA's computers for analysis, but no luck." 

Superman took the readouts and studied them carefully, his Kryptonian intellect coming to bear on the cryptic message. Unable to decipher the mysterious string of symbols, he finally shrugged his massive shoulders. 

"Whatever they're saying, we know one thing," he said quietly. Atom and the Flash looked at him tiredly. They'd been up all night trying to unlock the mystery. "Our visitors are trying to talk to us. We just don't understand the message." 

"I'll say," the Flash snorted. "They could be saying, 'We come in peace!' 'Take me to your leader!' or 'Prepare to die, earthlings!'" 

Superman's eyes smiled at his friend and teammate. He liked the Flash. Both of them were raised in the great Midwest and shared many of the same small town values and beliefs. Funny, Superman thought, if they'd been raised in the same hometown, they might've been best friends. 

"I guess it's time to pay a little visit to our guests," Superman said. 

"But, Supes," Atom protested, "their fleet of smaller ships is almost at the periphery of our Solar system. We can't afford to lose you or GL at this time. We're gonna need your powers should this thing deteriorate into war." 

"I have to agree with Ray, Clark," the Flash said quietly. "Our best bet is to try and analyze the message. Once we know the question, we'll be able to give them the right answer." 

"I agree," Batman said behind them. He stalked into the room, a dark wraith looking even more frightening in the bright light of the computer lab. Batman took the readouts from Superman's hands and studied them briefly. Without asking, Batman took the readouts, sat down at the monitor station and began typing. 

The other three heroes looked nonplussed. "Uh, you mind letting *us* in what you're doing, Bats?" asked Atom annoyed. The mighty mite found an air current and quickly glided to Batman's shoulder. He knelt, chin on fist and watched as the Dark Knight wrote a complicated string of commands. 

"Writing a program," Batman replied succinctly. 

"What *kind* of program?" the Flash asked patiently. 

Batman continued typing silently. It was soon obvious to the others that no further answers would be forthcoming. 

"Look, Ray, Barry," Superman began, "why don't you two guys try and get some sleep? You've been up all night. As soon as we have something we'll get you, all right?" 

Atom and the Flash exchanged slightly annoyed looks. They'd just been dismissed! The Flash raised his eyebrow at Atom, his silent message of "Why not?" obvious to his small friend. Atom fatalistically shrugged his shoulders in agreement. 

"Come on, Barry," Atom sighed. "I'll buy you a cup of coffee." The two scientist superheroes exited the computer lab. After the other two were gone, Superman turned to his enigmatic friend. 

"Okay, Bruce," he began. "You *mind* telling me what you're doing?" Batman didn't reply for several moments, and Superman resigned himself to being shut out again. To his mild surprise, Batman began explaining. 

"I'm accessing the Crays in the Batcave, then I'm jumping them with the JLA's and the supercomptuters at Star Labs. I need more processing power." Batman typed in a few more commands, then added reluctantly, "I need your Kryptonian passcodes to your system in the Fortress of Solitude. I've been able to access your system, but..." Batman paused. "...I haven't been able to break your codes." 

Superman stood, stunned by Batman's revelation. "*You've* tried breaking into my system?" Superman's safeguards and automatic tracking devices had never indicated Batman's attempts. "Why?" Superman asked simply. 

No answer. 

Superman sighed. "You distrust me that much? That you'd try to break into my private system?" Superman waited, but again Batman gave no response. "Bruce...all you had to do was ask. I would've given you anything you wanted." 

This last stopped Batman. The Dark Knight turned and looked at Superman, clearly not believing what the Last Son of Krypton had just said. 

"Bruce, unlike you, I *trust* my friends. I trust people. Ma and Pa taught me to always look for the good in others." At Batman's look of disapproval, Superman added, "Oh, not to be naive and accept others at face value, of course. But to trust people, give them the benefit of doubt, until they proved that they didn't deserve your trust." Superman looked sadly at his friend. "The same as your mother and father would've taught you if they had lived." 

Batman stared at Superman for such a long time that the Man of Steel began to regret his words. 

"I'm sorry, Bruce," he apologized, ashamed. "I shouldn't have said that. I had no right--" 

"--No," Batman interrupted quietly. "You're right. I *don't* trust people. Even friends. I should apologize," he added. "I never thought to ask." Batman returned to his programming. Superman stepped up, and gently removed Batman's hands from the keyboard. Then at superspeed, he typed in a complicated string of Krytonian symbols. 

Grinning, Superman turned to Batman. "Did you get that? I'll write it down for you if you want me to." Batman looked up his superpowered friend, then gave him one his rare half-smiles, almost flooring the Man of Steel. 

"I think I got it, thanks." With that, Batman returned to the problem at hand. 

**** 

"It's imperative that we make contact with our mysterious visitors," Superman announced to the assembled heroes. "As you can see from the break down of the numerical symbols that Batman was able to analyze, it appears to be some sort of warning. There's a string that keeps repeating. The nearest translation we can come up with is 'Krghlm.'" 

"'Krghlm'?" Green Arrow struggled with the word. "Hey, Supes, wanna buy a vowel? What the heck kind of a word is *that*? Sounds like you're clearing your throat or something." 

"Krghlm?" Green Lantern interrupted. "I seem to remember some of the Green Lantern Corps mentioning an ancient race of intergalactic spacefaring marauders called the Krghlm. Are the visitors identifying themselves as such? If so, we are definitely in serious trouble." GL looked grim. "Legend has it that the Krghlm destroyed thousands of the early races. Supposedly left a path of death and destruction across billions of light years and innumerable galaxies." 

Superman sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "We can't be a hundred percent sure, of course, GL, but from what we've been able to discern, the message seems more of a warning than a threat. Batman?" 

Batman stepped forward into the light, immediately behind Black Canary's chair. Startled, Black Canary jumped, feeling instantly annoyed. Where the heck did *he* come from? 

"The rest of the message's meaning is not clear. However, the visitor seems to be requesting some response from us. Unfortunately, we're not exactly sure what they're asking. Superman and I have come up with a standard greeting of peace and goodwill, acknowledging receipt of their message, and requesting an audience." Batman turned to Superman who took up the briefing. 

"We've written it in the same numerical 'language' with which they've contacted us," Superman explained, "and we've encoded it into a string of data packets, which we've sent already. It's been sent via the JLA hyperspace commsyst." 

"That's terrific, Supes," Atom said. "But even with the hyperspace commsyst the message will *still* take a few days to reach the edge of Orion's Arm." 

"Which is why we need to dispatch a JLA cruiser and meet our visitor face to face," Batman replied. At his teammates' looks, Batman explained further. "We're not one hundred percent certain about the accuracy of our message. We've tried to send reassurances that the Krghlm are not present here in the Sol system; however, we might have interpreted a numerical string incorrectly. Therefore it's become necessary that we face our visitors and utilize everything at our disposal, to communicate more effectively." 

"But Batman," Wonder Woman broke in, "isn't it unwise to go now into the enemy's lair, just prior to what appears to be an invasion? I would not wish to send either Superman or Green Lantern at such a critical time and leave the earth practically undefended." 

"You're right, Diana," Superman broke in. "That's why I'm not going. Neither is GL, nor you, nor any of the superpowered members. Instead--" 

"--Instead, I've elected myself to go," Batman interrupted. "My usefulness during an alien invasion is negligible at best. Therefore, I am the most expendable member." 

"You? Expendable?" Green Arrow burst out. "Was Patton expendable? Eisenhower? I think not! Uh-uh, Bats, if there's one member of the JLA who's expendable, then it would have to be me. I'll go!" 

"Ollie!" Black Canary protested. 

"Sorry, Pretty Bird," GA said, "but sometimes a man's gotta do--" 

"--Can you pilot a JLA cruiser?" Batman interrupted. At GA's silence, Batman nodded. Then unconsciously mimicking Green Arrow's earlier outburst said simply, "I thought not!" 

"Maybe GA can't pilot a cruiser, but I can." Robin stood arms crossed, legs spread shoulder wide at the doorway. Batman turned to face his protege and immediately walked up to him. Batman struck an identical pose as Robin's and they both stood facing one another, neither saying a word. Batman finally broke the silence. 

"Since when can you pilot a cruiser, chum?" he asked quietly. Robin's face struggled between smiling with pride or grimacing with guilt. The latter finally won out. Robin dropped his eyes for a moment, then swallowing he raised his chin defiantly and faced Batman. 

"What do you think I do on school nights when you won't let me accompany you on patrol? You know who won't let me watch television after nine o'clock 'cause he says it's too violent." Robin rolled his eyes. The JLA members looked away to hide their grins. "So, after I finish my homework, I usually go down to the cave before bedtime and I do...stuff." 

"Stuff?" 

"Yeah, like practice my computer skills, or work on some of the equipment." Robin shrugged his shoulders, then added, "Or clock some hours on the flight simulator." 

"You've been clocking sim time?" Batman asked. Robin nodded, guiltily. 

"You never said it was off-limits, sir. And I only did it after I finished my homework, or any of the forensic exercises you had me practicing. Anyway, I've managed to rack up over two hundred hours on the simulator. The Titans and I have been running crew drills these past coupla days. We make a pretty good flight crew, Batman! Just check our stats!" 

"Robin, you're an experienced pilot. I know that. But clocking sim time and taking a cruiser into deep space and possibly into harm's way are totally different things. I'm sorry, chum, but this is one of those times that I'm ordering you to remain in the rear. I'm proud of you and the Titans for volunteering and for being farsighted enough to plan for such a contingency. But, I couldn't risk you...or the other kids." Batman squeezed Robin's shoulder gently, then released it. 

"You always *do* this! I thought we were partners! Well, partners don't stay behind just 'cause the going gets dangerous! I could be of use to you, especially if you meet any of the smaller ships. You can't do this alone, Batman! It'll be suicide!" 

"Robin, you know the rules," Batman said quietly, his voice taking on a dangerous timbre. 

"Yeah! I know the rules all right! *You* make 'em, and I have to take 'em! Even if I choke! Well, not this time, Batman! I'm not staying behind and letting you go and get yourself killed...I'm not!" 

"Robin!" Batman's tone would brook no further outburst from his junior partner. Robin bravely withstood Batman's ominous glare for a few moments longer; however, his real fears finally came to the front and his chin quivered slightly. 

"I don't want to lose you, too," he whispered. "I already lost Mom and Dad...please, I don't want to lose you, too." Robin held Batman's eyes, then dropped his head in shame. He'd lost control in public. There was no excuse for such weakness. "I'm sorry, sir...I'll be in our quarters." 

Robin spun on his heel and walked out. Batman stood staring at his boy's retreating back, wanting to go to him, pick him up and promise to never leave him. Instead, Batman forced himself to put the boy's hurt and anxiety out of his mind, and returned to the task at hand. 

Green Arrow stared pensively at the Dark Knight, knowing better than anyone else in the conference room what Batman was probably going through at the moment. 

**** 

"Dick?" Batman spoke softly from Dick's bedroom door. He'd pulled his cowl back transforming himself back into Bruce Wayne. Dick was lying in the dark. He'd returned to his room after his outburst in the conference room and thrown himself on his bed in anger. The tears had followed soon afterwards, and shortly after that, he'd dropped off into a troubled sleep... 

"Dick?" Bruce walked quietly into Dick's room and sat down at the edge of the bed. Dick was still in his Robin suit. He was curled up inside his cape looking even younger. Bruce smiled sadly, his heart catching in his throat. He wanted desperately to bring a smile back into Dick's eyes by taking him with him, but Bruce couldn't bear the thought of losing the boy in space. 

Dick belonged on earth. He should not have to die in space. 

Bruce reached over and lightly touched Dick on the shoulder, startling him awake. 

"Hey, chum," Bruce spoke softly, smiling. "How many times do I have to tell you that pajamas are for sleeping and your Robin costume for working?" 

Dick smiled sleepily. "I'm a slow learner." Then remembering his earlier behavior, Dick's smile wavered. Ashamed, he turned on his side, facing away from his mentor. "I'm sorry I was such a baby today. I know the rules...I know what a privilege it is for me to be your partner." Dick sniffled slightly. "It's just that--that--" 

Dick couldn't go on. He'd already lost one father. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another. 

Bruce reached over, and holding Dick by the shoulders, brought his adopted son up to him. He held Dick in his arms for a few moments allowing him to cry and be a small boy for a few minutes. 

"It's just that you're afraid that I may never come back. It's natural to feel afraid, Dick. You lost the two most important people in your life. Now when things finally look like they might be going right again, I volunteer to go on a suicide mission. I'd be surprised if you weren't afraid." 

Bruce traced his fingers lightly along Dick's cheek. The boy's bright blue eyes were burning with an intensity of feeling. 

"Dick, I lost the two most important people in my life, too. I couldn't bear to lose you, as well. I know it hurts, son, and I know that my decision seems unfair and arbitrary. But in this case, I'm the adult, and fair or not, I have to make the decisions." Bruce met Dick's eyes fiercely, burning with an intensity of emotion he rarely allowed. 

"It's my job to protect you, Dick. If I allowed you to accompany me on this mission and something happened to you...if I lost you...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." 

Dick pushed away slightly and tried to reason with his guardian and mentor again. "Bruce, I know I can be of help if you'll only let me! Please, let me help. It's my planet, too. I guy's gotta be allowed to do the things he can do to help others. It's not right to just sit and wait for something bad to happen, not if I could've done something to prevent it!" 

Bruce gazed steadily into his boy's eyes. "You're right, of course, Dick, and the earth is very important me, too. But it's hard for me to really *care* about people on such a grandiose scale. I can only think about what's really important in my life, and I guess that would be Gotham City, Alfred, and you...and Dick, of these, you are the most important." 

Bruce wanted to add, "You see...I'm not doing this to protect a planet! I'm doing it for you. I'm doing it so that one day you'll grow up, go to college, get married, and even have kids and make me a grandfather!" But the words wouldn't form. 

Dick's eyes showed the distress he was suffering. He tried to hold them back, but the tears started on their own. "We're supposed to be partners! You won't let me help 'cause you don't trust me! You don't trust me to do my job when things get dangerous!" 

"No! That's absolutely not true, Dick. You *know* that!" 

"Yes, it is...you don't think I'm good enough! Dad always trusted me! We were a team! We were the Flying Graysons! He trusted me to be on my mark each time...just the way we practiced. Like I trusted him! You and I train all the time...but you still don't trust me. You don't believe in me to be able to the job, to carry my end of the show!" 

"Dick...son, believe me. I *do* trust you. I trust you with my life. You *know* that! But Dick, this is different...this has nothing to do with being partners. This has to do with personal responsibility. And like it or not, I'm responsible for you." Bruce shook his head. "No, I won't risk you...Dick, I'm asking you to understand, son. As an adult, it's my responsibility to protect you." 

"So, I have to just accept it, then? I have to sit back and wave, bye-bye, and maybe never see you again? Well, I *won't*! If you go without me...if you get yourself killed because you wouldn't let me help, then I won't care!" Dick threw himself facedown brokenheartedly on his pillow. "Do you hear me?" he asked through his muffled sobs. "I won't care!" 

"Dick," Bruce said helplessly, reaching his hand out and lightly stroking his boy's head. "I promise I'll be back," he said, knowing it was a promise that would be difficult to keep. "I'm sorry, son...This is the way it has to be." 

"I don't care," Dick sobbed. "Please, go away and leave me alone..." 

Dick heard his bedroom door being closed softly a few moments later, and he found himself indeed alone... 

**** 

Listening intently to the quiet, stealth-like noises from Bruce's room, Dick waited. As soon as Bruce left their quarters, Dick ran out into the living area, quickly crossed over to the exit, opened the door carefully and looked down the outside corridor. 

There! Batman was rounding the bend towards the elevators. Robin ran back into their quarters and made his way quickly to the "phone." This was an unsecured intra-satellite local area voice network. He dialed Wonder Girl's code. 

Robin waited while the phone rang at the other end. 

"'lo?" a sleepy voice answered. 

"WG?" Robin whispered desperately. 

"Mmmm?" Wonder Girl's response was still sleepy. 

"Donna!" Robin hissed. "Wake up, willya?" 

"What? Hello? Dick?" Wonder Girl sat up confused. "What time is it?" 

"It's time for action! You up to a little trip to the edge of the galaxy, Wonder Girl?" 

"Do I get to drive?" Wonder Girl was wide-awake now. 

"In your dreams, WG! Nothing doing! Go back to bed!" Robin replied tongue firmly in cheek and awaited for the explosion. 

"Ooh! Just wait till I get my hands on you, Boy Wonder!" she spluttered. 

"Donna, please! This is an unsecured line! I'm shocked! What would Batman and Diana say? Look I've gotta get the others. Make your way to the launch bay...and WG?" 

"Yeah?" 

"This is one hundred percent Top Secret! Escape and evasion procedures are in effect!" 

"Roger, oh, fearless leader! Over and out!" Wonder Girl said, saluting playfully even though Robin couldn't see what she was doing. 

Dick smiled, then proceeded to round up his team. 

**** 

"So, let me get this straight, Boy Wonder," Speedy began. "In the course of twenty-four hours, or so, this is the second rule that you've broken. Batman's gonna hang you by the cape from the highest stalactite in the Batcave!" 

Robin walked up to Speedy and stood defiantly. "That's my problem, junior bowman! You wanna play ball, then be ready to get a little dirty. The same goes for all of you! This mission is strictly off limits! Batman's already told me to stay of it, and the other JLAers are in agreement with him." 

Robin took in each of his team's looks of protest. The Titans were standing in the launch bay's darkened observation deck. Movement below caught Robin's eye: Batman and Green Arrow were climbing into one of the cruisers. 

"Ollie--!" Speedy said, startled. "He didn't even say good-bye...!" After all the promises Green Arrow made, he volunteered for a suicide mission without informing Speedy. Speedy clenched his fist in anger. "I'll show you," he vowed in an angry whisper. 

"If you believe that this is necessary, Robin," Aqualad volunteered, "then I am willing to risk Aquaman's wrath. We are a team...it is our job to protect one another." 

"I'm in, too, Batboy," Kid Flash said. "You need me. We're a team." 

"Me too," Wonder Girl piped in. 

"I'm in," Speedy said, smirking. "Can't let you kids go out into the big bad galaxy without a gunner, now can I?" 

**** 

"All right, listen up!" Robin hissed. "As soon as the launch bay is repressurized, we blitz it to cruiser number five. I'll go to the control room and activate the cruiser's crew hatch from there. As soon as the hatch goes green, I'll follow. Any questions?" 

"Yeah," Speedy said. "How do we open the launch bay doors once we're on board the cruiser?" 

"Each cruiser has a remote activation unit on its control board for emergency launch," Robin quickly explained. "I can't think of a better example of an emergency launch than this." 

The launch bay red warning light signaling depressurization changed to green. It was safe to reenter the cavernous launch bay. "Ready?" Robin asked. Each Titan nodded affirmative. Robin carefully opened the observation room's safety hatch. He walked at a crouch out onto a catwalk, which led to the deck below. He signaled the "All Clear" to the others. 

"GO!" Robin urged in a loud whisper. 

As the others hurried down to the designated cruiser, Robin shot out a jumpline and crossed the intervening emptiness of the giant open bay towards the control room. Releasing his safety line, Robin somersaulted in midair, caught the safety railing immediately outside the control room and easily swung himself over onto the catwalk. 

Taking out a palm-sized digital lock-pick from his utility belt, Robin quickly placed it on the control room's outside data pad. He pressed a key on the lock- pick and a red indicator light came on. Within seconds the red turned to green. 

The control room safety hatch clicked open. "I'm in!" Robin said aloud. He hurried to the control panel and flipped several switches. The launch bay monitor came on and Robin immediately began typing commands. He found the data bank that provided the remote control commands for the cruisers that were sitting on the launch bay. After a couple minutes of furious typing, Robin uncovered the exact combination for cruiser #5. He noted that the spacecraft had been christened the _Avenger_. 

"Hmm. The _Avenger_, eh? How appropriate," Robin muttered. Within seconds, he'd successfully opened the _Avenger's_ outer crew hatch. Grinning to himself, Robin took a few extra moments to type in a few more commands. Satisfied, he shut the system down, then hurried out into the bay to join his teammates. 

Not bothering to fire off a jumpline, Robin dove off the five-story catwalk, and executing a series of elaborate spins and twists, he managed to grab onto a handhold and thus break his descent when he was about six feet from the ground. 

Releasing his handhold, Robin landed lightly on his feet, and took off running towards the cruiser. Speedy, who'd witnessed Robin's descent from the catwalk, could only shake his head in awe. 

And I tried to take on the guy, Speedy thought ruefully. 

**** 

"Heads up, Titans!" Robin ordered over the _Avenger's_ intercom. "As soon as I open the launch bay doors, there's gonna be hell to pay. Donna! Wally! Remember, as *soon* as we clear the satellite...Donna, go to cloak, and Wally activate shields." 

"Roger!" "Gotcha!" 

"Let's do it, people!" Robin punched the emergency launch button on his control panel, and the interior of the launch bay exploded into a frenzied maelstrom. A warning klaxon went off inside the bay warning of sudden depressurization! A red strobe light suddenly started flashing immediate danger! As soon as the launch bay doors cracked open with a sudden hiss, everything that wasn't tied down or somehow bolted to the floor instantly began flying towards the opening. 

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Wonder Girl shouted into the intercom. 

"Wonder Girl, don't shout into the mike!" Robin ordered sharply. "You'll overload it. The outside's being depressurized, and not in the usual orderly fashion. Instead of depressurizing the launch bay first, and then opening the doors, we've opened the doors first. As soon as the launch bay reaches equilibrium with the open vacuum of space, everything will calm down." 

Sure enough within a couple of minutes, the gale force tornado and material being buffeted about came to a halt. Items that were not sucked out of the bay doors, floated freely in the open bay. 

"NOW!" Robin called. He immediately fired his start engines and put the _Avenger_ into forward. As soon as the small cruiser cleared the open bay doors, Robin punched for full impulse. "Wonder Girl! Cloak! Kid Flash! Shields!" 

**** 

The JLA satellite was a marvel of human engineering. Its construction had been a joint effort of some of the best scientists that Wayne Enterprises, LexCorps, and Star Labs had to offer. It was further enhanced by ultra secret Kryptonian, Amazonian, Atlantean, and Martian science. Furthermore, the talents of Dr. Ray Palmer came to bear on the final engineering design of the space station. 

On approach from earthside, the satellite appeared to resemble a child's spinning top. The center of the satellite, and the main construction, was cylindrically shaped and several stories in length. An outer ring encircled the inner cylinder. Four axles that radiated outwardly from the cylinder connected the outer ring to the main part of the station. 

An array of antennae and solar panels were grouped on the satellite cylinder's "top" and "bottom." Lights could be seen blinking from four endpoints where the axles joined the outer circle. Also, an outsider might be able to make out lights shining brightly from several portholes and viewing ports. In all, the Hall of Justice was an impressive sight. 

A sharp-eyed observer might suddenly notice that at the cylinder's lowest level, giant bay doors slowly opened, and inadvertently released interior atmosphere and a confusion of material. Within a few seconds, this was followed by what appeared to be a small cruiser; however, this image was there and gone so quickly, that an observer might have thought his eyes to be playing tricks on him... 

**** 

Wonder Girl and Kid Flash instantly activated the _Avenger's_ cloak and shields respectively. Robin immediately steered the cruiser to one of the satellite's center axles. Very delicately, Robin set her down on the night side and shut down all unnecessary systems. 

"What are you doing, Bird boy?" Speedy asked. "We should be heading out of the solar system at full throttle just about now. 

"Not quite yet," Robin said. "We wait for now." 

"Wait? Wait for what?" demanded Speedy. 

"For them," Robin said quietly. He pointed at the flying figures of Superman and Green Lantern zooming out of the satellite's launch doors. As the Titans watched, it became obvious that the two superheroes were conducting a thorough sweep of the satellite's immediate area. 

Robin listened in his headset for any transmissions from the satellite. Sure enough, he soon heard the exasperated voice of Atom radioing Superman. 

"Supes! We can't join you on the search...Someone's sabotaged the launch codes. It'll take a couple of hours to unscrew this mess!" 

"Sabotaged them, huh?" Superman's voice sounded slightly amused. "Very well, Atom. GL and I will continue the search on our own. Superman out." 

Robin sat back feeling very satisfied. He'd sabotaged the launch codes, of course. It would be relatively easy for someone with advanced computer skills to exterminate the bugs he'd placed in there. Of course, if the JLA couldn't debug the launch codes within twenty-four hours, Robin's sabotage program was set to self-destruct and return everything to normal. 

Robin smiled as both Superman and Green Lantern flew off into space in opposite directions. As soon as both heroes were not longer in visual range, Robin began tracking them electronically. When it appeared that both the Man of Steel and GL were continuing their search into deep space, Robin delicately reactivated the _Avenger's_ engines and slowly dislodged her from her perch on the satellite's outer skin. 

Robin turned the _Avenger_ 180 degrees. 

"Aqualad, do you have that course I asked for already plotted?" Robin asked. As they'd practiced during the sim drills, Aqualad was acting as the ship's navigator. 

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Aqualad said happily. The original Star Trek show was one of the many television broadcasts that the Atlantean visual entertainment communications station picked up from above. Aqualad was an avid fan, and he'd often dreamed of being part of the Enterprise crew. He was having the time of his life. "Plotted and on the board, Captain!" 

The others turned to give him curious stares. Speedy and Kid Flash exchanged slightly amused glances. Aqualad caught their looks. "Star Trek's my favorite show back home!" he said, his violet eyes gleaming. "It's one of the few land- dwellers' video entertainments that the Ministry of Communications allows us to receive. I think I've watched all of the episodes about a thousand times! Beam me up, Scotty!" Aqualad added the last with a broad grin. 

"I prefer the Next Generation," Kid Flash proclaimed. 

"You have to got to be kidding!" Aqualad protested. "Captain Picard is so...stiff! While Captain Kirk is--!" 

"--so...fat!" Kid Flash said derisively. 

Speedy caught Wonder Girl's laughing eyes and just shook his head. 

Robin concentrated on his flying. The course that Aqualad plotted would hopefully avoid the two spacefaring superheroes' search pattern at least until the _Avenger_ cleared the solar system. Once in interstellar space and away from Sol's gravity well, it would be safe for Robin to activate the small cruiser's star drive and jump into hyperspace. 

If necessary, Robin would be able to accelerate their timetable by activating the star drive's maximum faster than light jump engines, or max FTL. However, because of the strange "warping" effect that the max FTL could have on the immediate hyperspace bubble surrounding them, this capability was to be used only for extreme emergencies. 

Robin was not entirely certain about the physics involved, but Atom had patiently explained that when the JLA cruiser went into max FTL drive, the engine's special isomagnophasic containment field became temporarily disabled, because the ship was literally sent through a "fold" in time. The spacecraft would enter a fold or a crease in the space-time continuum and emerge "somewhere else" an instant later. 

To the ship's occupants, space around them would seem to have "warped," with everyone moving seemingly in slow motion. Atom compared the effect to a television monitor that's badly out of tune. Furthermore, while the ship's chronometers going through max FTL experienced a definite gain in time, those in real-time space neither gained nor lost time. It was almost as if time stood still back home while the spacecraft crossed through FTL. 

For now, however, Robin would have to fly as stealthily as possible, utilizing the planetary bodies within the Solar system as cover and concealment. The _Avenger_ may be cloaked, but Superman's much vaunted vision powers and Green Lantern's power ring were not to be dismissed lightly. 

**** 

End Part 2/4 


	3. JLA/Titans: Invasion! (Part 3)

Summary: The Titans go on a "road trip" of self-discovery. They rescue Green Lantern and then discover that separating him from his power ring is not good idea. Batman and Green Arrow slowly begin to "bond" while on their mission to the alien mother ship. 

Acknowledgement: As always, much thanks to Terri and Dannell for their patience and assistance; their critical input was priceless in the final development of my story. 

Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome! 

Copyright 1999 

**** 

JLA/Titans: Invasion! by Syl Francis 

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." (Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice") 

**** 

Chapter Eleven 

As the vast armada continued on its relentless trajectory towards the minor star system, the mother ship detected two small blips on its forward sensors that appeared to be on an intercept course with its scouts. The gigantic ship's AI immediately sent out a warning to the primary scouts, fifty ships that were deployed approximately twenty light years forward of the main body. These immediately veered off towards the new coordinates... 

**** 

"Flasheroo!" Robin called. "You've gotta keep a close watch on our sensors. Superman and GL are the least of our problems. If they find us, the worst we can expect is to get spanked and sent to our rooms. If we run into the armada, we may not live to see our rooms again!" 

"Yeah! And I bet Uncle Barry would sure feel sorry that he got mad at me for going on this mission," Kid Flash replied. 

Robin sighed at the other boy's utter denseness. "Well, keep your eyes and ears open, Twinkletoes, so's your Uncle doesn't have reason to feel bad, okay?" 

"Okay," Kid Flash answered happily. 

"Five hours to Sol System's edge," reported Aqualad quietly. 

"Thanks, Garth," Robin acknowledged. "Speedy!" 

"Yeah?" Speedy was busy practicing with his sights. 

"I'm sending a firing program to your target acquisition computer. I want you become familiar with it. ASAP!" 

"Hey!" Speedy protested. "Who's the weapons expert here? I don't need any pre- programmed firing sequence to acquire a target. No way, Boy Wonder!" 

"Harper," Robin's voice took on a dangerous edge. "You have two choices: Either follow my orders or get out of my way. I don't have time for arguments. Now what will it be?" 

Speedy clenched his fist in disgust and looked like he was about to tell Robin where to go, when he noticed the other Titans waiting quietly, tensely assessing his response. He took a deep breath, slowly unclenched his fist, and nodded slowly. 

"Okay, Bird-boy...you're the boss," Speedy said. He caught Wonder Girl's eyes. She was smiling proudly. Speedy slowly returned the smile. 

"Good...when I call for fire, I want you to immediately go the programmed sequence," Robin ordered in a brisk, business-like tone. Then relenting, he added with a slight smile, "And, Archer, don't worry...you'll get your chance to go to free fire." 

Speedy's grin broadened. "Hey, Robbo! You're all right!" Speedy turned and gave Kid Flash a high five. For the next few hours, the Titans became just a bunch of kids out for a joyride... 

**** 

"Robbie!" Kid Flash called out. "I'm receiving a Priority One transmission from the JLA!" 

"Put it on audio," Robin replied. 

"...Please, Donna," Wonder Woman was pleading quietly. "This is not the way. You'll be killed. Dearest sister...please...I beseech you to return. Before it's too late." She suddenly broke off and was replaced by the Flash. 

Robin turned to Wonder Girl. She was sobbing quietly in the copilot's seat. He reached across and gently gave her arm a squeeze. Wonder Girl quickly placed her hand on his and gave Robin a grateful smile. 

"Wally! Hey, champ! You'n me...we're partners, remember? You didn't even say good-bye." The Flash's voice broke. "Wally, what will I tell your Aunt Iris if anything should happen to you? I promised her I'd take care of you. Wally, I couldn't love you more if you were my own son, you know that. Please...please come home." 

The others turned to look at Kid Flash. The young speedster's face appeared stricken, and he looked ready to burst into tears. 

"Garth," Aquaman's deep voice came on. "You are my right hand. I cannot rule without my most trusted advisor. Minnow, please return the craft to the satellite." Aquaman paused, then demanded in anger, "Garth! This is your King speaking! I command you to return this instant--!" 

Aquaman was suddenly cut off. Aqualad dropped his head in shame. To disobey his king and the man who'd been like a father to him was more than the shy Atlantean could take. 

"Red," Black Canary's tentative voice came on over the audio pickup. "Red, I know you're angry with me, but I swear I never meant to hurt you. I know that Ollie's a knucklehead sometimes, but he loves you...you know he does. Just like you love him. And Red, I-I never had little brother before...I'd never forgive myself if you got yourself killed because of me. I promise, Red..." Black Canary hesitated for a split second. "...I promise that I'm history. Just come back to us! Oh, Red, I love you, too." 

"Robin," Atom's voice cut in. Robin's head shot up at his name. "Robin, I know you're listening, son. You're the leader. The others will follow you. I know that you're hurt and upset that Batman wouldn't risk you by taking you with him. But this isn't the way, Robin." Atom's voice took on a slightly desperate edge. 

"You're responsible for the lives of the others now. If you children are hurt or killed, then Batman's sacrifice will have been for nothing. Robin, you know I'm telling you the truth. You're too much of a leader not to realize this. Please...Robin, you Titans aren't just nameless faces in a crowd. You're our children. Robin, for your sake and the sake of the others...please, turn the craft around!" 

"Shut that damned thing off!" yelled Speedy. He jumped from his seat and made his way to the commsyst station, where he reached over and punched the off- switch. "What are they trying to do? Mess with our minds?" Speedy's voice broke and he immediately returned to his weapons station. "Dinah had no right to say anything...no right," he whispered, his voice choking. 

Kid Flash sat hunched over his station, his hands covering his eyes. His slightly shaking shoulders showed that the junior speedster was quietly crying. Aqualad looked impossibly young and terribly lost. His violet eyes shining with unshed tears. Wonder Girl looked over at Robin trying to be brave, but her chin quivered nonetheless. 

Robin looked at each of his teammates, in turn, and gritted his teeth at the only decision he could make. "We're turning back," he said succinctly. 

"What?!" Wonder Girl protested. "Robbie, we can't!" 

"Yeah, Bird-boy," Speedy broke in. "They're just tryin' to mess with our minds, man! They don't care about us...just their lousy reputations!" 

"Hey! You watch your mouth, jerk!" Kid Flash jumped up and shoved Speedy unceremoniously. "I don't know what your problem is...but I love Uncle Barry, and he loves me! He'd never do anything to hurt me!" Kid Flash turned anguished green eyes on Robin. 

"Robbie, I-I know how important this is to you, and I'll go along with whatever you decide. I'll be okay...honest." Tears that the junior speedster couldn't control fell of their own accord. "It's just that I didn't say good-bye, and if something happens...Uncle Barry will never forgive himself. Robbie, he's been like a Dad to me...I can't do that him!" 

Robin set the _Avenger_ on autopilot and stood up. There was just enough room for all of the Titans to stand inside the cruiser's small cockpit. They each stared at one another wondering what was coming next. 

"I had no right to ask you to come with me. I should've anticipated this. Your families are back there onboard the satellite. Mine is somewhere out there." Robin pointed forward in the direction they were heading. "We still have about thirty minutes before we reach the edge of the solar system. If I turn back now, I'll have you home in time for supper." Robin gave them a smile that was more of a grimace. 

"Robin, wait!" Aqualad said. "You are the leader, of course, and we will respect your decision. But we are also a team. You cannot arrive at such a momentous conclusion without consulting us. Aquaman seeks counsel whenever he is called upon to make a ruling that could be met with harsh opposition. He is our king, but as in all things, Arthur tries his utmost to rule both fairly and justly." 

"Yeah, Robbie, before you take us back, why don't you *ask* us if we want to go back?" Kid Flash said, sniffling and wiping his eyes and nose inelegantly on his sleeve. 

"Garth and Wally are correct, Dick," Wonder Girl agreed. "You should ask us how we feel before we abandon the mission." 

Speedy nodded. "You already know how *I* feel! I say we go on! We're not a bunch of babies that need protection from the big, bad invaders. What's the point in being superheroes if every time the going gets tough, we get sent to the rear where it's 'safe.'" 

Robin stood, arms crossed, feet shoulder-width apart, the picture of a junior superhero. He nodded slowly at their individual pleas and finally spoke. "All right, Titans. You each get one vote." He paused. "But the ultimate decision is mine. Do you agree?" 

They each nodded their agreement. 

"All right. All those in favor of going back to the Hall of Justice, say 'Aye!'" No one spoke. "All those in favor of continuing with this mission--" Robin was interrupted by the four resounding "AYEs!" from his teammates. Wonder Girl hugged Robin in happy celebration, then noticing Speedy's jealous scowl, she turned and hugged him, too. 

Robin looked at each of his teammates in turn. "Are you absolutely sure you know what you're volunteering for?" At their solemn nods, he reluctantly agreed. "All right, we continue the mission; however, before we clear the solar system, I want each of you to record a message to your families. Tell 'em...tell 'em what you need to tell 'em to set things right. When we're ready to cross into deep space, we'll uncloak for a few seconds and send a short data burst. Okay...what are standing around for? Go record your personal messages! We're at ten minutes to leaving the solar system!" 

The Titans all rushed back to their duty stations and began recording their messages. Robin returned to his pilot's station and quickly recorded a farewell message to Alfred... 

Alfred, I guess you'll get this message if something happens to me. I couldn't let Bruce go off by himself and maybe get killed. I already lost one Dad, because I didn't do anything to prevent his murder, even though I knew that rat Zucco didn't belong there. I should've said something, but I didn't...and now Mom 'n Dad are dead. 

I won't let Bruce die without trying to do to something about it. I'm going against direct orders, so don't be mad at Bruce. I-I love you, Alfred...I never knew my grandfather, but I know I would've wanted him to be like you...kind, thoughtful...a true friend. Please, don't be mad at me for leaving without saying goodbye. Love, Dick... 

Robin decided to send it via Wonder Woman, since she already knew Batman's secret identity. He checked the ship's chronometer. Thirty seconds to solar system's edge! 

"All right, people! Close out your messages and ship 'em to Flasheroo's comm board! Kid Flash, package them into a ten-second data burst and be ready to transmit on my signal! Ready?" Robin held his closed fist up. "NOW!" He brought his hand down in a sharp movement, and simultaneously turned off the _Avenger's_ cloak. 

Kid Flash sent the data burst as soon as Robin's hand came down. "Message transmitted!" he called out. Robin immediately recloaked the _Avenger_, and punched her into hyperspace. 

**** 

The scouts' sensors instantly detected the unusual spatial readings on an intercept course with the main body of the armada. Ship AIs communicated instantly with each other, passing data between ships at faster than light speed. The forward scout ships veered suddenly towards an intercept point with the incoming unidentified craft... 

**** Batman piloted the cruiser with minimal effort and almost no conversation. Green Arrow sighed to himself. 

"I might as well be on a solo voyage," GA muttered. They'd been travelling for almost fifteen hours, and Batman had spoken about as many words in that entire period. Green Arrow smiled sourly and spoke aloud in a high falsetto. "Oh, I don't know what you're talking about, Ollie. I thought that so far we've had a very pleasant voyage." 

GA paused and turned his head as if addressing another speaker. "Oh, yes, I totally agree. Quite pleasant. Jupiter looks lovely this time of year, don't you think?" 

He turned his head again and brought his hands delicately up to the sides of his mouth. "Oh, and Saturn's rings...to die for!" 

"Quite so! But that Pluto! Did absolutely nothing for me! Too cold and dark. Reminded me of someone I know..." Green Arrow continued in this vein for a few more minutes, but eventually tired of the game since he was obviously not going to get a rise from his taciturn teammate. 

Instead, GA went back to monitoring his station. He dutifully adjusted a knob here and there. Nothing. Just empty space! GA sighed. He was back where he'd started. Before they'd left the JLA satellite, Atom and the Flash had modified the different stations onboard and somehow jumped several of the critical systems to only two consoles. 

Therefore, while GA was sitting on the right-hand copilot's seat, he could monitor sensors, communications, engineering, shields and weapons, while Batman could pilot, navigate, and have auxiliary fire control, if necessary. 

Of course, no one said anything to GA about traveling thousands of light years with Laughing Boy next to him. GA sighed again. He missed Roy's arrogant wit and Dinah's sharp rebuttals. "I wonder if I'll see them again," he thought. 

"You will." Batman's quiet reply caught Green Arrow off guard. 

"Sorry, Bats. I must've spoken out loud. I didn't mean to interrupt your interminable silence." 

Batman turned and faced Green Arrow. "I asked you not to come," he reminded him. 

"Yeah, I know. But why should I let you Bat-guys get all the glory?" Green Arrow returned facetiously. Then, more seriously, he asked, "What makes you so sure I'll see Roy and Dinah again?" 

"I promised Robin I'd be back." 

Green Arrow's eyes widened behind his mask. "Oh," he said. "And I suppose that you're a man of your word." Before Batman could answer, Green Arrow continued. "I promised Roy I wouldn't walk out on him again, and what did I do? I left and I didn't even say goodbye." GA dropped his eyes. "I just couldn't face him again. Not after...well, you know." 

Batman made no reply. GA grinned sardonically. "You know, you could drive a guy nuts...or should I say bats? I spill my guts to you and get about as much response as an operator who's just placed you on hold. What are you made of anyway? Ice?" 

Batman's answer sounded reluctant, as if it almost pained him to talk. "I see little point in commenting on the obvious. You have serious problems with your junior partner. Coming with me could have made the problem worse. Do you want me to tell you that Roy will understand? I can't do that...I don't you or Roy well enough to make that judgement. Only you can answer that question." 

"You're right. I guess I just wanted you to blow some sunshine in my general direction." Green Arrow guffawed. "But I forgot who I was travelling with. Little Mary Sunshine you're not! God! Where's a funeral when you need a good laugh?" 

Batman looked askance at Green Arrow, and to the archer's astonishment, allowed a half-grin. "You remind me of Robin." 

"Oh? How's that? My youthful innocence and colorful costume?" 

"Your nonstop irreverent humor." 

"Oh, really? Well, I've got thousands more where those came from, Caped Crusader." 

"Please, don't," Batman uttered. 

"Are you kiddin', Bats? We're finally bonding, man! By the time we reach the end of the universe, we'll be buds...the new Dynamite Duo!" GA grinned broadly. "Of course, you'll have to do something about that Dark Knight look of yours...it clashes with my brighter colors." He paused for effect. "You know, Green Lantern could be a real possibility to pal around with. At least he has an eye for color." 

"Spare me, GA. Spare me." 

Green Arrow blithely ignored Batman's plea and proceeded to regale him with outrageously tall tales about his and Speedy's adventures in Star City... 

**** 

The forward scouts targeted the unidentified craft. Two scouts peeled off, and splitting up, converged on it from two different directions. The lead scout transmitted a string of numerical sequences, warning the craft to heave-to. Its warning went on unheeded. Finally, the lead scout gave the order to fire! 

**** 

The last thing Green Lantern remembered for some time was receiving a strange transmission over his headset... 

"Atom! Can you translate?" GL asked. He was "stopped" in space outside the solar system, surrounded by a protective green halo from his power ring. 

"Affirmative, GL, but it'll take time. Batman left us the translator program, but we're still pretty slow with it. The Flash is learning it faster than the rest of us, but even he can't do a real-time translation, yet." 

"Okay, Ray...do your best! GL out!" GL turned to continue his search for the missing JLA cruiser, when two strange alien craft uncloaked less than 200 meters from him and quickly approached him, firing deadly plasma rays. 

Green Lantern immediately ducked and rolled. He aimed his power ring and the full force of his immense will on the closest craft. His ring instantaneously scooped up the alien craft in a giant green bulldozer. However, in his single moment of being occupied with the first craft, the second zeroed in on its target and fired! 

Green Lantern felt the universe suddenly go black... 

**** 

"Speedy! How're you coming with that firing program I sent you?" Robin asked. 

"Ready whenever you give the word, Bird-boy!" 

"Aqualad," Robin addressed the Atlantean, "do you have the new course I asked for plotted, yet?" 

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Aqualad reported happily. "I am ready to engage the new course any time." 

"Uh, thanks, Garth," Robin replied shaking his head. "Kid Flash, your speed's gonna be critical. Your job's gonna be to maximize shields wherever we need them the most: forward, starboard, port, or aft. The computer is fast, but I think you're faster. I'm depending on you, Flasheroo. You think you're up to it?" 

"Aw, shucks, Robbie! Kid's play...I promise! I won't let you down." 

"I know that, Wally. I just wanted to hear you say it. Stand by the sensors so's you'll know instantly where we need shields the most." 

Kid Flash nodded and gave Robin a thumbs up. 

"Wonder Girl, you're my copilot. I'm gonna need you to help when I ask you to, and to be hands off at all other times. Also, because everyone else is tied up with critical jobs, I'm gonna need you to be my jack-of-all-trades. I'm jumping engineering to your console. Think you can handle that?" 

"I think so, Robbie. Let's see...that's engines, auxiliary power, transporter, and cloaking device. Okay, I think I've got it...I'll just familiarize myself with the layout here." 

"Robin! Forward sensors show two unidentified crafts uncloaking approximately five thousand kilometers forward!" 

"ETA?" Robin asked patiently. Would Kid Flash ever learn to give a full report he wondered. 

"They...they're not headed this way, Robbie. No wait! They're maneuvering...circling! Robbie, their weapons are armed! They're firing at something! It's so small I can't make it out!" Kid Flash listened into his headset and watched his monitor closely. 

"Flasheroo, send me what's on your monitor!" Robin ordered. Kid Flash immediately complied, transmitting the image on his monitor to Robin's Command Console. Robin's eyes narrowed as he studied what was on the screen. He quickly typed in a few commands to magnify the unknown object that the unidentified craft were firing at. His eyes widened! 

"HANG ON!!!" Robin cried. He punched his thrusters going into max FTL drive and held on for life. The dizzying warped effect of space being bent around them made the interior of the _Avenger_ suddenly seem like the Titans had stepped into a funhouse of mirrors. The effect lasted only a split second...here and gone so quickly that the _Avenger's_ crew wondered if they'd imagined it. 

"Stand by weapons!" Robin ordered. "Fire!" 

Speedy immediately initiated the firing sequence that Robin had programmed into his fire computer. The _Avenger's_ main batteries immediately targeted the alien vessel on its starboard bow. To Speedy's undying admiration, the _Avenger's_ target acquisition computer quickly targeted the enemy spacecraft's plasma engines and fired! A hit! 

Robin rolled the _Avenger_ through the quickly dissipating explosion. By taking out the engines, they'd also disabled the alien spacecraft's weapons. It was now "dead in the water." 

The second vessel ascended on its z-axis on what looked like a loop. It went "up", then came "down" on the _Avenger's_ aft side and opened fire. Robin concentrated on his flying and on holding his ship steady while the space around them was being bombarded with high-energy plasma particle beams. 

"Wonder Girl, lock onto that target and stand by the transporter! Kid Flash, stand by to lower the shields on my order." They both nodded their acknowledgement. "Speedy when we lower the shields, go to free fire! Aqualad, I need you on auxiliary weapons in case Speedy needs help!" 

"Hey, no need to be insulting!" Speedy protested, but he was grinning as he said it. "Gillhead, the red button is the trigger. You push that to fire and make a big bang, understand?" 

Aqualad gave him a quizzical look. "But sound does not travel in the vacuum of space, Speedy." 

Speedy closed his eyes shook his head. "Never mind, Gillhead. Never mind." 

Aqualad turned back to his station with a secret twinkle. He caught Kid Flash's eye and winked at him. Kid Flash smiled. Whadaya know? Aqualad just did a funny! Kid Flash turned back to his station and waited for Robin's order. 

"Okay, Titans!" Robin called over the intercom. "Ready...! Lower shields!" Robin's single order was followed by a succession of unspoken ones that were quickly carried out. 

As soon as Kid Flash lowered the shields, Speedy changed to free fire, and began to engage the attacking spacecraft through a combination of computer assisted firing and sheer gut instinct. At the same time, Wonder Girl, who'd locked onto the alien crafts' target, activated the transporter and managed to grasp whatever it was from the jaws of death. 

"Transporter complete!" she called. "What ever it is, we have it in our transporter buffer." 

At this moment, Speedy successfully targeted the remaining alien spacecraft's plasma engines and fired. 

"Woo-hoo!" Speedy cried triumphantly. "That's two down, Boy Wonder!" 

"Shields! Cloak! Let's get outta here, people!" Robin said excitedly. He punched the _Avenger_ to max FTL drive, and instantly, the two alien spacecraft disappeared from their sensors. Within seconds, Robin returned the _Avenger_ to standard hyperdrive. By then, according to their instruments, they'd jumped over 300 light years. 

"Whoowee!" Kid Flash yelled. "Man! That's *really* traveling, Robin. You've gotta teach me to fly one've these!" 

"Great going, people," Robin said over the intercom. He took a moment to compose himself, then put the _Avenger_ on autopilot and stood up. "Speedy, nice shooting, pal. Donna, Wally...great on the responses. Garth...your navigation is second to none." 

Robin stood there quietly, unhappy about what he was to tell them. Sighing he plunged in, "Houston...we've got a problem." 

Kid Flash looked at Robin perplexed. "Huh? Who's Houston?" he asked blankly. The others didn't bother to answer. 

"The 'whatever it is' in our transporter buffer?" Robin said by way of introduction. "Well, he's about six foot two, has brown hair, brown eyes, weighs approximately one ninety, likes the color green, and has this awesome ring!" 

"Green Lantern?" Speedy choked. "We have Green Lantern in the transporter buffer?" 

"Uh-huh," Robin nodded. 

"But, Robbie we can't leave him in there," protested Wonder Girl. "We don't know if a person's identity may be affected if left in stasis for too long!" 

"I know that, Wonder Girl," Robin answered slightly annoyed. "You don't think I'd leave him there, do you?" Robin noticed that she didn't answer. "Look, guys, the problem is his ring. As soon as we rematerialize him, GL is gonna just take us home, like a bunch of truant kids." Jutting his chin out stubbornly, in a manner that they were all becoming familiar with, Robin added, "I didn't come this far, just to be taken back!" 

"Robbie, couldn't we rematerialize GL, but somehow keep his ring in the buffer?" Kid Flash asked. "I don't know much about these things, but isn't there some way to determine such a thing?" 

Robin stared at Kid Flash like he'd never seen him before. He stared at the junior speedster for so long, that Kid Flash began to flush with embarrassment. "Uh, look, Robbie, I guess it was a dumb idea...just shuck it to my lack of higher math skills," he added sheepishly. 

Robin began to grin slowly. He walked up to Kid Flash and to the junior speedster's astonishment grabbed him in a bear hug. "I can't believe it! Flasheroo, you're beautiful, you know that? I could kiss you!" 

A red blur was Robin's answer. Kid Flash zipped out of the way of the threatened kiss and hid behind Aqualad. "Oh, no you don't, Robbie!" Kid Flash protested. "I draw the line on kissing guys!" 

Robin laughed. "Don't worry, Flasheroo! You're too ugly to kiss anyway. Wonder Girl, come on...let's see if we can determine a signature unique to GL's power ring." He paused, then said solicitously. "And WG, I promise that whatever we discover, I'll have GL out of stasis in under an hour, okay?" 

Wonder Girl nodded. 

**** 

Chapter Twelve 

The scouts sent an alarming message back to the mother ship. The "unidentified craft" had actually been a sentient lifeform, protected by a powerful radiation shield that the being could manipulate. Just as they were about to overcome the threat, a small primitive spacecraft materialized and fired on the two forward scouts. The unidentified craft disabled the scouts' engines, and as a result the plasma weapons as well, since they were powered by the engines. 

Before the forward scouts could take countermeasures, the intrusive craft transported the sentient lifeform onboard and jumped into some type of FTL drive. The FTL-powered craft might be quite primitive, but it was nonetheless highly effective. 

**** 

"GL! GL! Come in! GL, come in!" Atom listened helplessly to the answering silence. "No use. We've lost contact." He exchanged worried looks with the Flash and Wonder Woman. Atom turned back to the commsyst microphone. "JLA to Superman, come in." 

"Superman, here. Still no sign of the kids. What's your recommendation?" 

Atom understood that Superman was giving the Titans' senior partners the option of ordering the Man of Steel to continue the search or return to base. Superman would willingly follow their wishes. 

"Superman, stand by on that...We have another problem. We've lost contact with Green Lantern. His last known position was in search sector four point zero zero two Alpha November. He'd just reported receipt of an alien transmission. We translated it as fast as possible, but it looks like we might be too late." 

"I'm on my way to GL's last known position," Superman replied. "What's the message say?" 

"GL was being ordered to, for want of a better word, heave-to, and prepare to be boarded. He was apparently misidentified as a spacecraft." Atom sounded a bit uncertain. "It just seems odd that an alien technology as advanced as this could make such a huge error!" 

"I'm almost at the coordinates you gave me," Superman replied. "I've been searching with my telescopic vision for any signs of GL, but I haven't found any yet...Wait! I see something!" 

Atom and the other JLAers waited tensely for Superman to report anything further. When it seemed that Superman wasn't ever going to say anything again, his quiet confident voice came across the speakers. 

"It looks like some kind of space battle was fought here," he reported. "You should *see* these things, Atom! They're as big as the Daily Planet building...maybe bigger. And these are the 'small' ships, people." Superman didn't say anything for a while. "I'm circling the ships and searching for any lifesigns," he said. "Whoever hit 'em seems to have aimed only to disable. The engines are so much slag now, but that's all the damage I can discern. The ships are just lying here...dead in space. I'm going in, Atom." 

"We copy, Superman," Atom answered. "And big guy...ixnay on being the strong, silent type. Keep me informed on everything you see, no matter how insignificant!" 

"You're the boss, Atom," Superman said indulgently. "I only aim to please." 

Atom and the Flash exchanged smiles... 

**** 

He was floating in blackness...no sound...no sense of touch or taste or smell. Where am I, he wondered? Is this death? Eternal nothingness? No, I can't be dead, he denied. I think...therefore, I am. Can the bull, Jordan! You've gotta get your bearings...Call out! See if there's anyone else here. 

"Hey! Somebody...anybody! Is anyone else here? Where am I? Anybody! Please answer!" The eternal silence echoed back... 

He looked down at his hands. His ring...where was his ring? He could sense it...somewhere nearby, yet inaccessible. He reached inside himself...visualized the ring...began to utter the words that could bring peace. 

"In brightest day, in blackest night..." 

**** 

"Now! Rematerialize!" 

Wonder Girl immediately punched in the commands that Robin showed her, and instantaneously a bright shimmering glow lit up the single transporter chamber. Robin and Speedy stood close by on either side of whoever would materialize. 

A familiar form quickly took shape, a tall, heroic figure in emerald and white. Green Lantern fully materialized and stood still in the chamber, his eyes closed. Suddenly, he began to weave and slowly toppled over. 

Robin and Speedy quickly ran to GL and caught him. They struggled under what was essentially dead weight. 

"Man, I never knew the guy was so heavy! He sure don't look it!" Speedy grunted. 

"It's just that he's not helping us, 'cause he's unconscious," Robin explained, then added, "Batman's way heavier on account of his utility belt...and the Kevlar weave on his cape...and costume. GL's a piece of cake." 

By then the two teenaged superheroes had managed to maneuver GL to a small corridor leading to the crew sleeping quarters and the ship's infirmary. 

"Do you boys need a hand?" Robin and Speedy turned around and saw Wonder Girl standing with her hands behind her back. Robin's eyes narrowed. Was she smirking at them? Wonder Girl's eyes began to twinkle in amusement. Yep, definitely a smirk. 

Robin and Speedy looked at each other then simultaneously shook their heads. 

"Nah!" they said together. At this point, Speedy took a misstep and suddenly all three of them, Speedy, Robin, and Green Lantern began to fall over. 

"Hey, watch where you step, Arrow-boy!" Robin called annoyed. He was struggling uselessly to maintain his feet. 

"Sorry, Bird-boy, but this is one narrow corridor. It's barely wide enough for two people, much less three!" 

Robin sighed. "Well, there's no helping it, Speedy. We've gotta get GL to the ship's infirmary. Make sure those plasma particle beams didn't cause any damage. Look, I've carried Batman before when he's been injured. I think I can handle GL if you help me get him across my shoulders." 

"No way, Bat-boy! You're too scrawny! Heck, I outweigh you by a good fifteen pounds, and I'm also taller! I'll carry him!" 

"Speedy, we don't have time for arguments! Now just gimme a hand!" Robin was growing annoyed at the junior Bowman's contrariness. 

Wonder Girl observed the by-play between the two rival teen heroes with a mixture of amusement and growing exasperation. At this rate, Green Lantern could die of radiation poisoning. She walked towards them determinedly, and unceremoniously shoved first Speedy, then Robin out of the way. Over their shocked protests, the teen Amazon picked up the Emerald Knight as easily as if he were a child. 

"Why don't you boys go ahead to the infirmary and make sure the medbed is ready for the patient?" she asked. 

"Yes, ma'am!" both Robin and Speedy gave her a mock salute, executed a perfect military about face, then double-timed to the infirmary. 

**** 

"All systems are shut down, Atom," Superman reported in hushed tones. "No life support, no normal ship's functions, nothing! I've found no lifesigns anywhere! No food left half-uneaten, no indications that the crew quarters were ever occupied. And Atom...the ship's life pods are still in their dockets." Superman paused. 

"I don't get it, Supes...there has to be *some* sign of occupation! They just fought some kind of space battle! You said that the damage to the engines is recent, correct?" 

"Yes, the damage was caused well within the past couple of hours." 

"The crews of those two immense vessels might have all transported to another ship," Atom speculated aloud. "But why would they abandon two ships that are so easily reparable?" 

"Atom, my best guess is that these ships were never occupied by a living crew," Superman offered. 

"You mean they were fully automated?" Atom speculated. "It would certainly explain the lack of lifesigns, but it only opens up more questions. Not the least of which is, 'Why?'" Atom paused, gathering his thoughts. "Superman, why would an alien visitor, who has clearly attempted to communicate with us and has even sent us what appear to be warnings about a dangerous space marauding race, send automated vessels as ambassadors to earth?" 

"Because they're *not* ambassadors?" Superman wagered. 

"Indeed. And if they're not here as ambassadors, then they could be precursors to--" 

"--to an invasion!" Superman finished grimly. 

**** "The initial diagnostics show that GL's injuries are superficial...I think," Robin said. "I'm not really sure...I mean I'm not a doctor or anything like that." 

"What? You mean you Bat-guys don't have medical degrees, too?" asked Speedy sardonically. "Be still my beating heart. I may never recover from the shock!" 

"Aw, cut it out, Speedy!" Robin said annoyed. "What's your problem anyway? I never said I was perfect!" 

"No," Speedy admitted quietly. "No, Robin, you never have...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it...just my big, fat foot sticking in my mouth as always." 

Robin turned to Speedy and smiled, pleasantly surprised by the junior archer's admission. "That's okay, boy bowman. You should see me when I try to get into a verbal contest with Alfred. Heck, even Bruce doesn't dare try it too often." Studying the medbed's readings, Robin finally just shook his head and shrugged. 

"According to the indicators, GL's in some kind of state of suspension. His heart rate is lower than normal...breathing is slowed...all vital signs are good if somewhat slower than normal. He doesn't appear to be in any danger, just in some kind of deep sleep. Maybe it's a result of his ring automatically protecting him when the plasma particle beam struck him." 

"Robbo, don't take my next question wrong...I mean I'm not questioning your judgment. But what if GL needs his ring to come out of it?" Speedy's countenance clearly expressed his concern. 

Robin sighed. "I don't know, Speedy. Let's keep a close eye on the medbed's readings. If there's no change in the next few hours, or, if there's a change for the worse, then we'll have no choice. We'll *have* to return GL's power ring no matter the consequences." 

Robin and Speedy exchanged unhappy glances at this possibility. To have come this far to reach their mentors only to be sent back to the rear was not a prospect either looked forward to. 

"You know something, Robbo?" Speedy asked. 

"No, what?" 

"Sometimes it sucks being a kid." 

**** 

"So how do you do it, Bats?" Green Arrow asked. GA had been talking almost nonstop for the past five hours. It took Batman a second to realize that GA had asked a question that he didn't turn around and answer himself within the next breath. 

"Do it?" Batman asked. 

"Yeah, you know," GA explained. "The superhero bit...don the costume, face the villains, leap tall buildings in a single bound!" 

"You have me confused with someone else." 

"Okay, maybe not the 'leaping tall buildings bit', but what about the rest of it? I mean what got you started? You don't have an superpowers that I can see...No magic...No nothing." GA looked askance at Batman. 

"Hell, except for the scary costume and attitude," GA continued, "you're just an ordinary guy. Like me. Well, maybe not like me exactly. I mean, the bad guys may not like running into me, but they don't exactly wet their pants when they see me...but *you* on the other hand...well, let's just say that I'm glad we're on the same team. Well, maybe 'glad' is a bit strong." GA added the last shrugging sheepishly. 

When Batman didn't answer immediately, Green Arrow sighed exasperatedly. "Jeez, Bats! I thought we went through all this before! In order to have a productive conversation, after *I* say something, then *you* have to say something. Usually in direct response to what *I* just said. It's called 'dialogue'!" 

Before Batman could reply, GA continued. By now, he was gaining momentum and waving his arms dramatically. "Lots of people do it...hell, I've even heard that there're some things called *plays* where people get in front of an audience and *pretend* that they're having a conversation! Now come on, Bats! If total strangers can pretend to be talking to each other, then a couple of teammates like you'n me on a long space voyage can at least have a *real* conversation!" 

"In order to have dialogue," Batman uttered in his gravelly tones, "the first party in question needs to stop talking long enough to allow the second party time to reply. Of course, you've done exceptionally well for the past few hours in carrying on both sides of the conversation by yourself. I wasn't aware that I needed to add to it." 

Green Arrow was so taken aback by what was probably the longest single speech that the Dark Knight had stated during the entire trip that he almost didn't respond. Finally, finding his vocal cords, GA cleared his throat then managed to stutter, "Um, uh, yeah, well...uh, you're right. The first party, uh, does kinda have to shut up now and then, I guess. Um, what were we talking about?" 

"Depends..." Batman replied. "Are you asking about 'why I do it?' or about 'the art of conversation'?" 

Green Arrow's confidence started coming back at Batman's question. Hey, this is all right. Looks like the Bats 'n me are really gonna have a talk! GA grinned rakishly at his new 'friend'. "The first part, Bats...why do you do it? With all the neat toys you have in your arsenal, it appears to me that you're a man of some personal means. Why do you go out every night and risk everything? What drives you to do it?" 

"Why do you?" 

"Who me?" GA asked, pleased at Batman's personal question. "Well, after my parents died and I found myself the CEO of Queen, Inc., I heard about a certain vigilante down Gotham way..." 

Batman's mouth quirked slightly upwards as Green Arrow launched once more into an almost nonstop soliloquy about himself. 

**** 

Everything was different. GL was suddenly surrounded by light so bright it hurt the eyes to look at it directly. Everything was white...an old song's refrain kept echoing in his head, "A whiter shade of pale..." What happened, he wondered? When was he moved from the darkness to the light? Not that he was complaining, but apparently he'd lost his tenuous link with his ring. 

"Okay, Jordan, back to square one," he thought aloud. Or, at least, GL *believed* that he spoke out loud. "Let's get your bearings first. Let's see how large this cage is." 

Green Lantern walked to the far wall, reaching his hand out to touch it. As his fingers reached for it, it seemed that the wall suddenly receded further out. "Hmmmm. Moving walls, eh?" he asked sardonically. "Shades of 'The Pit and the Pendulum!' Okay, two can play at this game. If Mohammed can't go to the mountain, then the mountain will come to him!" 

GL looked down at his empty ring finger again. "All right, whoever you are! You've no idea who you're messing with! I'm a Green Lantern, and the Corps doesn't just pick a few good men! You may have stripped my ring from me, but I've still got free will. And as long as a Green Lantern has that, he's unstoppable!" 

GL stood defiantly in the middle of the endless bright whiteness, and again began uttering the words of power, the words that only a few chosen could whisper and become embued with the power of the most awesome weapon in the universe! 

**** 

"Dick!" Wonder Girl cried, forgetting momentarily to address her leader by his code name. "There's something wrong! Our readings are suddenly going off the scale! Engineering! Life support! Weapons! Everything is suddenly being activated and deactivated like crazy!" 

"Show me!" Robin cried. Wonder Girl moved over so that Robin could check over her console. The readings were unbelievable. It was almost as if some outside power were suddenly controlling their vessel's instrumentation! Robin quickly checked over his own readings on the Command Console. Before he had time to react, everything went off the scale! 

"HOLY--! EVERYBODY! HOLD ONnnnnnn!!" Robin barely had time to shout out his warning, when the _Avenger_ suddenly went into max FTL drive. The ship's small cockpit seemed to go into some kind of weird Twilight Zone tailspin. Robin struggled to turn his head towards Wonder Girl. It seemed to take him an hour to complete the turn. WG looked like an out of focus videotape, her slow movements leaving a definite trail behind her. 

Robin turned back to his Command Console and concentrated with all of his might to get the ship back out of FTL. Hard as Robin might try, he just didn't seem to have control of his hands. They refused to budge towards the Command Console. 

As Robin struggled, refusing to surrender to the quirky laws of quantum physics, there was an abrupt scarlet and gold blur next to him, and the ship jumped back to normal space. The unexpected leap back to normal space left the Titans feeling woozy and disoriented. 

"What happened?" Speedy asked blearily. "I thought someone had poured cement around me. Now I know how a cornerstone feels." 

"I'm not sure, Archer," Robin replied. Looking up the junior Scarlet Speedster, Robin smiled his thanks. "Great going, Kid Flash. How'd you manage to do that? I felt like was swimming in molasses!" 

"I don't know what happened, Robbie," Kid Flash answered. "I heard you call out to everyone to 'hold on', but I never noticed any change. I looked around and saw that all of you looked like you were frozen in your seats. Gotta admit, it scared me half to death! I hurried to you to see if there was anything I could do. I tried every switch on your Command Console, until I was able to hit the right combination." Kid Flash sighed in relief. "I guess I got lucky." 

"No way, Flasheroo!" Robin said. "You did what you're best at! You used your speed and maybe saved us all! Quick thinking!" Robin paused looking up at the junior Speedster thoughtfully. "What I don't understand is how come you weren't affected by the FTL warping effect. The last two times we went through FTL did you notice the same thing?" 

Kid Flash shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure, Robbie. The last coupla times we went through FTL, we were in and out of the space-time fold so fast that I hardly noticed anything. But this time...I definitely noticed. WOW! What a rush! I felt like King of the Speed Universe." He suddenly paused in his excitement. 

"There was something strange about it, Robbie...I'm not sure what it was, but I'm gonna have to talk to Uncle Barry about it. It almost seemed as if I was being pulled somewhere...Like I was being called by someone I couldn't see. Oh well...weird I guess!" Kid Flash shrugged his shoulders, and his worried look was quickly replaced with his usual open, sunny smile. 

**** 

GL felt himself being thrown back. He landed--hard--on his back. The wind was temporarily knocked out of him. As he lay there, he felt a grin start spreading across his face. 

So...he'd struck a nerve. Somehow, he'd made his presence known to his jailers. It was only a matter of time before they had to come and check on him. 

"You can take the ring away from the boy, but..." His grin broadened further. He might not have his ring physically on him, but he could sense it. "It's somewhere nearby," he said. "It may take a little more effort and will power to access the ring's power, but it's doable." 

**** 

"Robin!" Aqualad called. "You won't believe this! We're over two thousand light years beyond our last known position! According to my calculations, we might have even overshot the first cruiser's flight path." 

"Let me see," Robin said. Aqualad immediately sent Robin the necessary data to his Command Console. "Hm. I think you're right, A-lad. Batman isn't scheduled to make these coordinates for another four standard hours. Well, I say let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. We'll hold position and remain cloaked. Meanwhile, we need to run a diagnostic of all ship's systems to see what the heck happened back there." 

The other Titans groaned. Robin turned and gave each of them a look that essentially stopped all complaints... 

**** 

"I don't get it!" Robin cried out exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an unconscious imitation of Alfred. Robin felt a headache coming. "Everything checks out normal. Nothing's wrong! At least nothing obvious enough to show me what could've caused such a-a wacko systems breakdown!" 

"Wacko systems breakdown?" asked Speedy, his eyebrows raised. "Is that a bat- technical term?" 

Robin grinned embarrassed and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm stumped folks! According to the diagnostics, there is nothing detectably wrong with the _Avenger's_ instrumentation. Of course, that means that something un-detectable may be the problem. Which puts us right back where we started!" 

"Um, maybe not, Robbie," Kid Flash said tentatively. "'Member I said I felt something weird when we went FTL? Like something or someone was calling me? Pulling at me?" 

Robin nodded. 

"Well, that's not all I felt. I wasn't sure at first, 'cause everything was kinda new...I mean I hadn't had a chance to sorta assimilate the feelings. The first thing I felt was the most powerful. Something, a force of some type, was calling to me to reach unimaginably faster speeds. I've *never* felt anything like it before...it was like getting drunk or high, I think. I could feel myself being pulled towards it. But you guys needed me, so I was able to resist the urge. But, I can almost still *feel* it calling to me. It's not as strong now, but it's nevertheless there." The junior Speedster looked a little worried about his admission. 

"Go on," Robin urged quietly. "This sounds important, Kid Flash." 

Kid Flash nodded, then continued a little awkwardly. He was embarrassed to suddenly be the center of attention. "Well, along with this urge to go to who knows where, I could also feel something else. It felt really bright...I don't know...I kept seeing colors. White, especially...bright, bright white...almost blinding white. But somewhere in there was a tiny speck of another color. Not very bright or a lot of it, but it was there." Kid Flash paused as if afraid to continue. 

"What color was it?" Robin asked, almost afraid to hear the reply. 

"Green." 

All the Titans stood staring at each other in mute shock. 

"Green Lantern," Robin whispered awed. 

"Great Hera," Wonder Girl said softly. "Is it possible?" 

Robin looked at her soberly. "This is Green Lantern we're talking about Wonder Girl. Anything is possible. His ring is still in the transporter buffer, but who's to say what GL is capable of? Batman says that Green Lantern is one of the most powerful of all the Green Lanterns in the galaxy. Come on, we've gotta get his ring back to him before something else happens!" 

At that moment, something else did indeed happen... 

**** 

Chapter Thirteen 

The mother ship sent a shut down message to her forward scouts. She couldn't afford a functional vessel to fall into presumably enemy hands, especially an enemy who was so clearly advanced that he could survive the dangers of space without the protection of a ship. 

Whatever possible descendants of the Krghlm her scouts had stumbled upon in this insignificant star system located in the minor galaxy's spiral arm, her mission was now clear-cut: Destroy all traces of the Krghlm! 

**** 

"Are Batman and Green Arrow apprised of the Titans' disappearance?" Superman asked. 

"We sent them a transmission, of course, but so far no reply. I think they'd probably jumped into hyperdrive shortly before we sent them word. The message probably hasn't even reached them yet; however, they're due to jump back to normal space in about another forty-two minutes to make radio contact." 

"Thanks, Atom. I just hate for Batman not to know about Robin. If something happens to that boy..." Superman didn't finish the thought. 

Atom's reply sounded slightly chastising. "Supes, I think we all know how Batman feels about Robin. But believe me, Batman is not the only senior partner here who loves his kid." 

"..." Superman felt a bit embarrassed by the reminder. "Sorry, Atom, and to everyone else back there. I didn't mean...never mind. Superman out." 

Atom, the Flash, and Wonder Woman stared at each other wordlessly. 

"What will we do if something happens to the children?" Wonder Woman asked no one in particular. 

The Flash didn't even want to think about it. He'd promised Iris that he'd take care of Wally. The Scarlet Speedster took a few steps away from the other two. 

"Barry, are you okay?" Atom asked his friend. 

The Flash shook his head, no, and then spoke quietly. "Kid Flash is still a relative novice when compared to the other junior superheroes, having come into his powers just a few months ago. But in that time, the boy's control has grown remarkably. Did you know that?" He asked proudly turning around to face his teammates. 

"In fact, I'm certain that one day Wally is going to outdo me in every way possible. Kid Flash may still not be as experienced as I am, but because he received his superspeed powers at such a young age, by the time he's an adult, he'll already be a veteran speedster of many years." 

The Flash smiled proudly. He didn't know why Fate had selected his favorite nephew for the mantle of the speedster. However, the Flash felt deep down that there was a greater power at work here, and that it was his job to prepare his junior partner to take over as the Flash when the need arose. 

At this sudden thought, the Flash's smile turned somber. If that were the case, then Kid Flash was chosen by the "Speed Force," or whatever the power was called that made these selections, because of the high probability that he, Barry Allen, would meet an untimely end. Therefore, he was being given the opportunity to train his nephew to take up the mantle. 

Sensing his friend's sudden change in attitude, Atom inquired concernedly, "Barry, you okay, bud?" 

The Flash smiled gratefully and nodded his head, "Yeah, Ray. Just thinking about Wally's future potential. He's such a regular kid, you know? Before he got hit with this speed power his interests were baseball, Saturday morning cartoons, comic books, and food. Not necessarily in that order, either." The Flash smiled indulgently as he thought of his nephew. 

"He hasn't lost his interest in any of the other things, but this power carries with it such a responsibility. It hardly seems fair that a small boy should be...cursed...with it!" The Flash's smile faded somewhat at the last comment. 

"Barry, please don't be offended at this," Atom said tentatively, "but I've gotta say something that's been bothering me since the Titans came onboard the satellite. Is it right to endanger a child's life by making him or her a superhero's sidekick? Where did this propensity to draft children come from anyway? I confess that I'm simply stumped by the whole concept." 

"I cannot answer for the others, of course," Wonder Woman began, "but Donna is *not* my 'sidekick'. She is my adopted sister. I bring her to Man's World on extended visits because she is only an adopted Amazon. Her true heritage is out here. Donna is a trained Amazon warrior, and therefore, I feel that she is up to the challenge of assisting me whenever she comes with me. I allowed her to join the Titans because she and Robin were good friends, and I felt that the experience of being with children her own age would also help her social development." Wonder Woman paused and smiled slightly. 

"As my people have been granted immortality by our gods, one can see that there weren't very many children on Paradise Island for Donna to have as playmates. This is why it is so important for her learn to socialize with young people here in Man's World." 

"I think that Speedy has taken your sister's need to socialize a bit to heart," Atom teased. "Of course, it may be my imagination, but it seems to me that most of the male Titans might have had opinions on the matter!" 

Wonder Woman smiled sadly. "Yes, my younger sister's heart has chosen...perhaps not wisely nor well, but certainly openly and trustingly. I only pray that her heart is not broken in the end." 

"Diana," the Flash began, "they're only kids. At this age, kids fall in and out of love every week. Heck, I remember I had a different girlfriend each week when I was Wally's age. Besides, at their age, going steady means holding hands and sitting together during lunchtime. Wally's still a little shy around girls, but I think he'll blossom soon enough. I just wouldn't worry about it or take it too seriously." 

Recalling her younger sister's openness at describing her kiss with Robin, Wonder Woman smiled secretly. Young...yes. Innocent? Definitely. Yet, the children were each tentatively exploring that which the world had to offer, and discovering to their mutual wonder that there was so much more to life than fighting crime. 

"Perhaps you are correct, Barry," Wonder Woman acquiesced. "However, Donna is no ordinary thirteen year old girl. Even now we are discovering abilities that lie dormant within her that our people have not seen in a millennium. Mother and I have not yet fully explained this to her. We wish her childhood to be as 'normal' as possible." 

"'Normal childhood'!" the Flash said ruefully. "Now there's an oxymoron!" 

The three heroes shared a smile, a momentary respite from the coming storm... 

**** "Robbie! Robbie! Wake up! PLEASE! I need you! Wake up! I can't fight them anymore...I can't fight them anymore..." 

Robin's awareness of the reality around him came about sluggishly. "Wha--? Wally?" Robin whispered. His eyes opened excruciatingly slow. "What happened? What's going on?" 

"Robbie! Help me! HELP ME!" Kid Flash's anguished cry brought Robin to full wakefulness. 

"Kid Flash! Wally!" Robin sat up where he'd collapsed on the ship's deck. Kid Flash was crumpled next to him, curled up in a tight ball. The other Titans were lying in varying positions on the deck, all unconscious. Kid Flash was shaking violently. In fact, to Robin's shocked senses, the junior Speedster seemed to be vibrating faster and faster, almost to the point of becoming an invisible blur. 

"Wally! What are you doing?" Robin cried out loud. He scrambled towards his friend and tried to grab his shoulders. Robin's hands went right through Kid Flash! "Flasheroo! Listen to me! Whatever it is, you've gotta stop vibrating! Come on, Wally. Normal speed, Wally! Normal speed!" 

"I *can't*! The voices...they're back!" Kid Flash cried out. "They're tearing at me! They're ALL OVER ME! Robbie, I can't stop...HELP ME! OH, GOD! HELP ME!" 

Robin thought quickly. "Wally, listen to me," he said in quiet desperation. "Whatever or whoever is causing you to do this...you can beat them, buddy! I *know* you can! I want you think, Wally. Think about the most important people in your life...your aunt and uncle. Think about what they mean to you, and what you mean to them. You can't give up, Wally! You *can't*!! You're a Titan and Titans aren't quitters! Right?" 

Kid Flash didn't respond. If anything he seemed to be disappearing even faster. "Wally! These voices...are they in your head? Or can you actually *hear* them? Wally, are these voices real?" 

The junior Speedster did not respond. He was fading faster with each passing moment. In desperation, Robin assumed his Titan's leader persona. 

"Kid Flash, I'm asking you to give me a report! When are you going to learn that I can't do my job properly until you learn to give a full report?" 

Kid Flash stuttered a timid response. "I-I think they're real...but I can't tell. They just seem to be everywhere! I can feel them, Robbie. Please make them stop! MAKE THEM STOP!" 

"Kid Flash if the voices are real, you can fight them! Use your superspeed, Flasheroo. If the voices are real then you should be able to see them! All you have to do is vibrate up to the same speed as their voice vibrations. It could be dangerous, but once you can spot them, you'll be able to counter vibrate and cancel them out. You know...the principle of white noise! Are you with me? Can you do it?" 

In answer, Kid Flash began to vibrate faster. Robin watched, frightened yet mesmerized by the teen speedster as he almost disappeared from sight. 

"I SEE THEM!" Kid Flash cried out triumphantly. "Okay, you Speed Force Demons, or whatever you are...TAKE THAT!!!" Robin took an involuntary step back when he saw Kid Flash begin to counter vibrate... 

...A seeming eternity later, Kid Flash stood solidly in front of Robin. The young speedster looked down at his hands as if amazed that he was actually still there. 

"I did it," Kid Flash whispered. He looked up at Robin and smiled proudly. "I *did* it!" 

Robin grinned back. "You sure did, Flasheroo. You showed 'em who's the speed- meister!" 

Kid Flash's smile wavered a bit. "I'll never forget this, Robbie...I'll never forget how you helped me." 

Robin smiled and shrugged. "Hey! We're teammates, right?" 

Kid Flash shook his head. "No, Robbie, not teammates...better than teammates! Friends..." he looked at Robin uncertainly. "...that is, if it's cool with you?" 

"Way cool, Flasheroo," Robin replied. "Now, mind explaining just what the heck's going on?" Robin waved his arms, taking in the unconscious forms of the other Titans. "What happened? What's going on?" 

Kid Flash shook his head. "I'm not sure, Robbie, but it looks like GL's sent us somewhere beyond the cruiser's max FTL limit. This time I felt something odd from the start. First off, all of you just fell on the deck. One second you were giving orders. The next, you were down. The others with you. I tried doing the same thing I'd done before...shut down the FTL drive, but I couldn't. In a few minutes I realized that we weren't going through FTL, we were...somewhere else." Kid Flash paused. 

"That's when I noticed that the voices were back, only this time with more intensity. They kept referring to something called the 'Speed Force'. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but they made it sound like some kind of living entity that existed in a special speed dimension. Anyway...it must be some kind of narcotic for speedsters because they really had me going this time." Kid Flash hugged himself at the remembered pain and fear. "I almost couldn't fight them...I almost gave in." 

Kid Flash dropped his head in shame. 

"But you didn't, Kid Flash," Robin reminded him. "You did fight them...and you won! You should be proud of yourself." 

Kid Flash rewarded Robin with a wide grin. "Thanks, Robbie. You're a real good friend." 

**** 

Green Lantern felt exceedingly smug. His jailers were now getting a little taste of their own medicine. He wasn't exactly sure where his power ring was located, but he could feel it all around him. Wherever it was, it was close. That was his jailers' second mistake. Their first was imprisoning him without some kind of mental block. 

"Look! I can continue like this for a very long time! Now, why don't you just give up? I'm sure the Guardians will be lenient...in their own way...for holding a member of the Green Lantern Corps!" GL waited. He was growing frustrated. "At least, show yourselves! I promise I'll return ship's control back to you if you at least agree to talk to me. My people don't mean you any harm...We do not wish a war with your people! Please! Talk to me!" 

GL's increasing anger and frustration finally reached critical mass. "Okay, have it your way!" GL felt the power of the ring as surely as if he held in his hand. He began to exert his will to depths even he had never dared reach before... 

**** 

"Okay, Twinkletoes," Robin interrupted his friend's heartfelt gratitude, "don't take this wrong, but we've gotta figure out a way to stop this. How do you know that it's GL doing this, anyway?" 

Kid Flash grinned and rolled his eyes. "Look around you, Einstein! Notice the sickly green glow?" 

Robin looked around and felt himself blushing. He gave Kid Flash a mock salute. "You win that round, Flasheroo," Robin admitted sheepishly. "Next question...how come *I'm* not out cold like the rest of the team?" 

"I sort of brought you into my aura," Kid Flash explained. "When I saw that I wasn't gonna be able to beat the speed force demons by myself, I knew that I needed help. You're the smartest guy I know, so I picked you. I figured if anyone could help me out of the jam I was in, it'd be you." 

Robin grinned proudly. "Thanks, Kid Flash. I think that's probably the nicest compliment I've ever been paid." Kid Flash flushed in embarrassment. "So, you took me into your 'protective aura'? What's that?" 

"Uncle Barry explained it to me once. The aura is a kind of protective 'bubble' that surrounds us and protects us speedsters from the dangerous speeds we can achieve. It also makes it possible for us to speed up someone else's metabolism for a limited period." 

Kid Flash grinned boyishly, enjoying the moment of being able to explain something to Robin for a change. "Anyway we can extend our aura a short distance, but we've never tried to protect anyone farther than a couple of inches or so. So don't try to get too far away from me, or I'll have to carry you!" 

"Hey! Nothing doin'!" Robin replied. "I'll stick close. Don't worry about that! Come on! We've gotta get to the transporter chamber and get GL's ring back. This is so weird...it's like he's converted the whole ship into his power ring." 

By this time, the two junior heroes had arrived at the transporter chamber, and Robin quickly reached the control console. As he was about to type in the necessary command codes to rematerialize GL's ring, Robin was suddenly lifted bodily by a giant green hand and thrown backwards. Kid Flash caught Robin in a scarlet and gold blur before the Titans' leader could crash against the bulkhead. 

"Whoa," Robin whispered. "I think this is gonna be a little harder than it looked. Come on, Flasheroo. Let's study the problem." 

**** 

GL felt them. His jailers were trying to circumvent his defenses. "Shield!" he cried out loud... 

**** 

"What *is* that thing?" Kid Flash asked awed. A protective shield of pulsating emerald energy unexpectedly formed around the transporter control console. Kid Flash tentatively reached his hand out and touched it. He felt a definite shock, not deadly, but not pleasant. 

"He's fighting us," Robin surmised. "GL is somehow fighting us...his subconscious is trying to protect him and his power ring." He paused then said sardonically, "I'm the smartest guy you know, huh? Well, separating GL from his ring is turning out to be just about the stupidest thing I've ever done!" 

"You know, Robbie," Kid Flash speculated. "I think I can do it." 

"Do it? Do what?" 

"Cancel out the green shield." Kid Flash and Robin shared a thoughtful look. 

"How?" Robin asked simply. 

"Well...I know that just 'cause it's green doesn't mean that it operates under the same principles as the color spectrum, but it's still a form of radiation, right?" 

"I think so," Robin said uncertainly. "I guess it is, although I've never been sure if operates under some kind of scientific principle or if it's some form of magic." 

"Nah. I overheard GL and Uncle Barry talking one day. Doctor Palmer joined them, too. It was really highbrow stuff...quantum physics and bunch of other stuff I didn't understand. But one thing that GL made clear is that the Guardians of Oa may be more advanced scientifically than earth science currently is, but everything they do has a scientific basis. We just haven't reached that level of knowledge yet. And the way GL made it sound, our sun will burn out before we *ever* get that advanced!" 

"Okay, Flasheroo," Robin said excitedly. "We've got something to go on then. So, let's take this by the numbers. First step is finding the right frequency of the shield and trying to counter it. Want to give it a try, Doctor Flash?" 

"My pleasure, Professor Robin!" 

**** 

"Can't see a way through it, Robbie," Kid Flash apologized. "It's like nothing I've ever run across. The faster I vibrate, the more solid it seems to become." 

Robin sighed. "Probably some kind of electromagnetic field. The faster it vibrates the more the attraction between the charged particles at the subatomic level. Well, it was worth a try, anyway, Flasheroo." 

"But I *did* see something else," Kid Flash added. 

"Something else? Like what?" 

"Not sure, really...it was like a very faint green trail. I almost couldn't see it, but at one point you stood right next to it, and I was able to make it out against the red of your costume." 

"A green trail?" Robin mused. "Where was it coming from? Could you tell?" Kid Flash nodded. 

"It seemed to be coming from outside the transporter chamber," he said. 

"Think you can speed up and find it again?" Robin asked. 

"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem," Kid Flash shrugged. 

"Why don't you do that and follow it to its origin?" Robin said. "I think we're gonna find out that you probably stumbled onto GL's mental projections...his 'brainwaves' so to speak." 

"Brainwaves?" Kid Flash asked weakly. 

Robin nodded distractedly. This problem sure had him stumped! 

"Brainwaves?" Kid Flash repeated. 

Robin blinked at his teammate as if seeing him for the first time. He'd been absorbed with the problem at hand and analyzing possible courses of action. None of which will work, Robin concluded, feeling frustrated. I bet Batman would've solved the problem by now. He became aware that Kid Flash was still staring at him nervously. 

"Yeah, like I said, Twinkletoes, the green energy trail you spotted is probably a mental projection of GL's brainwaves...got a problem with that?" Robin glared at the young speedster, his arms crossed. 

Kid Flash gave a quick shake of his head. 

"Uh, no. It's cool!" He denied. "But if I do as you ask, I won't be able to keep you my aura," Kid Flash warned. "I wouldn't dare vibrate up to the superspeed needed to find that mental trail with a passenger. It could kill you." 

Robin shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to take another nap. Besides, if you run into any problems, I know you'll think of something!" 

Kid Flash beamed at the compliment. 

"You're the boss!" Kid Flash agreed. He immediately withdrew his aura from around the Boy Wonder, and Robin instantly lost consciousness. Kid Flash caught his friend easily and lay him down gently. 

Kid Flash took a long, slow breath to calm his frazzled nerves and then began to spin... 

**** 

"Gillhead! I need your help! Wake up!" Kid Flash impatiently tapped Aqualad none too gently on the cheeks. 

The young Atlantean's long, dark lashes fluttered open, revealing confused, slightly out of focus violet eyes. "What is it? Where am I? What is going on?" he asked dazedly. 

"I need you, Gillhead...You told me once that you Atlanteans were telepaths, and that you're able to withstand some pretty extreme changes in pressure, right?" 

Aqualad sat up unsteadily, allowing Kid Flash to assist him. He held his hand up to his head. Everything was spinning around him. He felt completely disoriented. "Wally, I do not feel very well...I need water...hurry..." The teen from Atlantis was barely able to whisper his plea before he sank back into unconsciousness. 

Frightened, Kid Flash zoomed in a red and yellow blur to the ship's galley and filled several containers with water. He zipped back to Aqualad, trailing a line of water-filled containers behind him. As he came to a stop, he again extended his aura to Aqualad, while simultaneously waving his arm in the direction of the water jugs. This action displaced the air around the containers sufficiently to keep them in the air. Finally, he slowed the air molecules around the jugs, and eased the filled containers to the floor. 

Quickly, Kid Flash took the water and splashed most of it on Aqualad, reserving a few gallons for drinking. Kid Flash knew that the young Atlantean did not like regular tap water, but there was no helping it for now. Besides, the cruiser's water reserves were actually recycled and purified for reuse. Even Kid Flash thought the water tasted funny. 

A few minutes later, Aqualad began coming to. Finally, he reached full consciousness. "Thank you, Kid Flash," Aqualad said gratefully. "I am all right now, although, it will take me several days to take the chlorine taste out of my mouth." He looked up at Kid Flash and quirked his mouth shyly. Kid Flash smiled back. 

"I need your help, Gillhead," Kid Flash said seriously. "I need you to communicate telepathically with someone before it's too late!" 

"But, as I informed you earlier, Kid Flash," Aqualad patiently tried to explain, "I can only communicate telepathically with another telepath...and I've only communicated thus with another Atlantean. I would not know how to communicate with an outsider!" 

"Well, we don't have a choice, and we don't have time, so--" Kid Flash picked up his teammate and zipped to the ship's infirmary. 

"Why are we here?" Aqualad asked confused. 

"Here's the person I need you to communicate telepathically with," Kid Flash explained. 

"Green Lantern?" Aqualad looked perplexed. "I do not understand!" 

"It's hard to explain! Robin thinks that GL's turned the _Avenger_ into his power ring. I followed GL's green mental trail from the transporter chamber to the infirmary. I was able to tap into his subconscious world, but I can't communicate with him. I just barely managed to escape, when I remembered that *you're* a telepath!" 

"But I've tried to tell you--" 

"Yeah, yeah! I know...you can only communicate with other telepaths from Atlantis. Well, Gillhead, you're the only telepath we've got, so you're elected! Besides, I think with your body's ability to withstand extreme changes in pressure, it'll be safe for you to accompany me up to the necessary speed." 

"What? What are you talking about? Accompany you? Accompany you where?" Aqualad did not like the sound of that! 

"Well, the best way to explain, I guess, is to show you!" 

**** 

"Where *are* we?" Aqualad asked awestruck. They were inside an endless room lost in an eternal bright whiteness. 

"Not really sure, A-lad," Kid Flash admitted. "I think we're inside GL's subconscious. Uh-oh! I have a feeling that we're about to find out!" He pointed dramatically at a figure enshrouded in an Emerald shield. 

Before the teens could say anything, the Emerald Knight gestured dramatically, and both youngsters were suddenly held fast within the strong and painful grasp of two gigantic green hands that seemed to appear almost magically from the walls themselves. The junior superheroes were lifted as easily as a child's action figure. 

"GL! Please! What are you doing?" Kid Flash managed to croak from between clenched teeth. The giant hand was crushing him in its vice-like grip. "Garth! You've gotta get through to him. I can't vibrate out of here!" 

Aqualad was struggling helplessly within the gigantic hand's deadly purchase. He heard Kid Flash over the roaring in his ears, but felt himself blacking out. No! The others were depending on him! How often had he been relegated to the rear because of his need for water? How often had he felt left out of the others' easy camaraderie because he was so different? 

No! If this were to be the end, then he'd go as a Teen Titan! Aqualad began to reach within himself. If he were going to communicate with Green Lantern, he'd need something extremely powerful to break through the Emerald Warrior's awesome will. 

As he fell closer and closer into the black abyss of unconsciousness, Aqualad felt something new and intangible within the hidden depths of his psyche. Something swimming in dizzying shades of violet, purple, and lavender...something lying dormant, waiting...growing in power. 

Aqualad felt the very air around him increase in temperature to a blistering red-hot, and then in the next instant plummet to subfreezing cold. Somehow, Aqualad realized, he was unaffected by the strange temperature variants. Feeling his remaining tenuous grip on reality slipping, Aqualad reached for a last act of sheer desperation: he tapped into the deep reservoir of violet energy he discovered and filled his being to overflowing. As darkness consumed him, Aqualad fired a lavender enhanced bolt of mental energy at Green Lantern... 

**** 

Chapter Fourteen 

The armada of scouts quickly began rearranging their formation patterns. Whereas before they'd been deployed as scouts and therefore grouped in small units of fifty, now that they'd received new mission orders, to eradicate all biological life found on the third planet. They began clustering into company- sized elements of 500 ships. These, in turn, were formed into larger battalion- sized units comprised of fifty companies. 

Fifty battalions made up a brigade, and fifty brigades, a division. The armada was comprised of over a thousand divisions... 

**** 

"How long ago did they hijack the cruiser?" Batman's cold, gravelly voice was enough to send a chill down anyone's back. 

"Approximately thirty hours ago," Atom replied 

"That could place them anywhere from five hours to five minutes behind us," Batman said. "Depending on the speed they're holding. If they jump into FTL drive, there's no way gauge their present location." Batman sat stiffly at his Command Console. 

"That's not our only problem, Batman. We've lost contact with Green Lantern...Superman spotted two damaged vessels at GL's last known coordinates. The ships appeared to be fully automated...no signs of a living crew! And, no signs of GL either. We've no way of knowing what happened, exactly, but the damage to the engines was caused by the same type of weapons on our cruisers." 

"You're saying that the alien vessels were destroyed by weapons similar to what's on our cruisers. In other words, you believe that the Titans fought against those two vessels?" 

"At this juncture, Batman, anything's possible, of course," Atom replied cautiously, "but who else could it have been? Remember that it was Robin who first noted the distinct firing pattern that the aliens were utilizing. He probably just programmed the _Avenger's_ fire control center to take advantage of it." Atom shrugged helplessly. 

"If it makes you feel any better, Superman didn't find *any* signs of the Titans' cruiser other than the space battle, and the kids seem to have *won* that round!" Atom smiled broadly at this last comment. 

Before Batman could respond, Atom threw in the final bombshell. "But just when you think that things can't get any worse, our long range sensors indicate that the incoming vessels are rearranging their formations. Looks like a definite attack pattern...in several waves." 

There was a long silence over the open channel. 

To the casual observer Batman appeared poised, if grim. Certainly there were no overt signs of anything even resembling concern; however, GA had been closely studying his menacing traveling companion, and while Batman's worry might be difficult to detect, it was discernable if one knew where to look. 

A tension between the shoulder blades, a tightening of the jaw, a facial muscle that suddenly jumped, and an even grimmer demeanor, all overtook Batman's already dark and terrifying character. 

"Batman," Wonder Woman's beautiful visage suddenly filled Batman's command monitor. "I...I have a message that Robin left. He gave instructions that I send it to...a mutual acquaintance in the event that he failed to return. I thought you might want to hear it." She looked across the intervening light years that separated them, and smiled tremulously. 

"They're going to be all right, Batman...I *know* they are. The Titans may be young, but they've each received the best training possible. And Robin's a fine, level-headed leader." Wonder Woman smiled bravely, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "They're going to be all right," she repeated. "We have to believe that..." The Amazon Princess' voice broke at last, and she looked away momentarily. 

"Please scramble Robin's message and send it to my personal channel," Batman requested quietly. Wonder Woman nodded sadly and did as asked. "And Diana," Batman said hesitantly. "Thank you." 

"May the Gods be with you," Wonder Woman said in farewell. "JLA out." 

Green Arrow studiously avoided meeting Batman's eye. It seemed that there were now two partnerships in jeopardy. He decided to try to lighten the mood. 

"Kids these days! Can't live without them...can't shoot them! You do everything possible for them, and how do they repay you? By running off to the far reaches of the galaxy to get themselves killed. What's a parent to do?" 

Batman whirled on GA and grabbed him by the collar, and in a move of barely controlled violence, Batman threw Green Arrow against the bulkhead. "Don't *ever* say that to me again! Not EVER!" Spinning on his heel, Batman was about to stalk away, when he slowed to a halt. 

GA saw the Dark Knight's shoulders slump slightly, then straighten again almost immediately. Batman turned and faced Green Arrow, his expression inscrutable. "I...I'm sorry...I...There's no excuse--!" 

"That's okay, Bats," GA said, weakly waving Batman's apology aside with a lopsided grin. "What's a knockdown, drag-out amongst friends? Hell, Pretty Bird's thrown me around more often than I can count. And for far less than that!" 

Green Arrow grimaced and tried painfully to regain his feet, but slipped and fell again. Laughing feebly, GA added gamely, if haltingly, "I think I'll just sit here for a sec...I'm kinda gettin' used to being slammed against walls. You should try it...great for the lumbago..." 

Batman reached his hand out and offered it to Green Arrow. Hesitating, GA looked up, surprised at the gesture. Grateful, he took the proffered hand and allowed Batman to help him to his feet. The two heroes held each other's gaze for several seconds. 

Eventually, when it was obvious that the Emerald Archer could stand on his own, Batman turned and walked back to his pilot's seat. He sat down and methodically began to power the vessel back up, again. In order to communicate real-time with the satellite, they'd had to drop out of hyperspace to sublight speed. 

Green Arrow silently watched Batman work for a few moments. "I'm worried about them, too," he said quietly. Batman's hand hesitated for an instant, then moved on to complete his adjustments. 

"Strap in," Batman ordered. "Hyperspace in thirty seconds and counting!" 

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Green Arrow said easily. 

As they waited tensely for the hyperdrive to activate, the two surrogate fathers' thoughts turned respectively to the boys who'd somehow won their hearts... 

**** 

Awareness came slowly and painfully to the Titans. As each opened his or her eyes, they experienced a sense of vertigo and an inability to tell up from down. The reason was soon obvious. They were floating freely about the cruiser, bumping and scraping against the bulkheads. 

"Yeowch!" cried out Speedy. "What's goin' on? What happened?" Speedy moved awkwardly and instantly found himself out of control. He slammed against the deck, bounced off and saw that he was about smash headfirst into the ceiling. 

Not panicking, Speedy managed to bring up a mini-crossbow, aimed and fired off a mini-arrow that trailed a thin length of nylon. The arrow flew true and wrapped itself around a piece of metal piping in the corridor. Speedy pulled the nylon rope taut, and his trajectory was immediately stopped. He took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. 

Speedy saw Wonder Girl "sitting" cross-legged in mid-air, holding her hand to her forehead. She'd obviously just slammed against something hard, too. "Hey, Wonder Babe," Speedy called. "You okay?" 

Wonder Girl nodded, albeit slowly. Any unexpected moves could send her careening against the _Avenger's_ metal sides. 

At this moment, a green, red, and yellow streak torpedoed its way down the corridor. Every few feet, he'd ricochet off the bulkheads like a billiard ball. "Gang way!" Robin shouted as a warning and almost collided with Speedy. 

"Hey, watch it, Bird-boy!" Speedy complained. "What's goin' on? Wonder Doll and I just woke up in the middle of the corridor, and we're *floating* in case you hadn't noticed." 

"I noticed," Robin replied. "'Scuse me. Gotta get to the infirmary!" 

"Why?" Speedy asked Robin's quickly retreating back. Robin easily latched onto something projecting from the ceiling. Speedy saw that it was piece of piping so small that he'd've missed it even he'd known it was there. How did Robin do it, Speedy asked himself? 

"Look, we don't have time to talk!" Robin's voice showed an uncharacteristic agitation. "I need you two to go forward and try to get our power back. We're operating on emergency generators right now. About all that's working is life support." Robin was about to turn and continue down the corridor, when he remembered something else. "Oh, Speedy, WG, before you restore power, give us a warning...once the power comes on, the ship's artificial gravity will resume. We've gotta be prepared, otherwise, we could end up as bright red splotches on the deck below." 

Robin smiled apologetically at Wonder Girl's grimace. 

"Sorry, WG. Hey, you get extra credit if you can determine where we are." Before Speedy could say anything in protest, Robin gave an almost imperceptible flick of his wrist and just seemed to fly off. 

Speedy didn't move for a moment. He just watched the Boy Wonder with a mixture of something akin to awe and a little jealousy. Sighing, Speedy turned his body around carefully in the direction of the control cockpit. Remembering the bumps and bruises he'd just acquired, Speedy pushed off a bit more cautiously than Robin. "Boy Wonder. Ha! More like, Boy Show-off! If I could do the things he does--!" Speedy wasn't given the opportunity to finish the sentence. 

"If you could do the things Robin does, then you wouldn't be Speedy, would you?" Wonder Girl asked, her wide blue eyes looking at him guilelessly. Speedy smiled at her gratefully. He noticed that she wasn't struggling with weightlessness anymore. Instead, Wonder Girl seemed to take to it as easily as she did her gliding on air currents. 

Speedy sighed. Why did he always feel like he was running a race and somehow managing to keep a steady last place? 

**** 

Robin held the precious green power ring in his gloved left hand. He swallowed nervously. The ring was quite ordinary looking. Almost cheesy...like those fake plastic rings you got inside a box of cereal. But closer inspection showed that it was...something else. Robin could actually see the ring pulsating with a strong and steady emerald glow. 

As Robin hurried from the transporter chamber to the infirmary, he could feel the ring's power increase the closer he got to his destination. Now, standing right outside the infirmary's sealed hatch, the ring was literally pulling at him, demanding to be let inside. So far, Robin had been able to keep the ring from flying out of his hand, but he knew that as soon as he opened the hatch, any control he had over the ring would come to an end. 

Working quickly, Robin undid the outside latch. He was proud of Kid Flash...whatever the junior Speedster had done, he'd had the presence of mind to try to protect the others from GL by sealing off the infirmary. When Robin finally unsealed the hatch, he almost fell over the threshold...no, he was almost *pulled* over the threshold by Green Lantern's power ring. 

Robin decided that the better part of valor was in order. He opened his hand, and the ring went flying, towards the unconscious form of GL, trailing a miniscule green comet tail. 

Robin, meanwhile, managed to float over to Kid Flash and--. 

"--Aqualad?" Robin was surprised to find the teen from Atlantis in the infirmary with Kid Flash. "I can hardly wait to hear *this* story!" Robin carefully brought his two teammates down from the ceiling where they were each floating unconscious and quickly strapped them both onto a medbed. 

"You'll both be safe once the gravity comes back on," Robin explained unnecessarily. He activated each medbed to see if either of the boys had a serious injury. Aqualad's medbed immediately began to indicate that the water dweller was in distress! 

However, Robin wasn't entirely certain because the medbed was giving off some rather strange and erratic readings. Robin studied carefully, then quirked an eyebrow. According to the readings, Aqualad was pregnant!? Robin quickly adjusted the controls and took note of the new readings. He hurried to the intercom. 

"Speedy! Wonder Girl! I need one of you to get me water...lots of it! Aqualad's in trouble! Hurry!" 

"On my way!" Wonder Girl's quiet, self-assured voice came over the intercom. Robin smiled in silent approval. It looked like the teen Amazon had found her confidence while on their extended field trip. 

Robin turned towards the teen Atlantean once more. Again the indicators over the medbed were giving off some rather bizarre readings. He made a mental note to himself to research the JLA medbed's programming. It seemed to be having problems with the Atlantean physiology. 

Robin grinned. Aqualad pregnant! If Speedy ever got wind of this, he'd *never* let the shy water breather live it down. The poor kid would probably not come up to the surface again until he turned thirty! 

"Uhhhnnnn..." 

Robin turned towards Green Lantern. The Emerald Warrior looked like he was coming to. In fact, GL's ring somehow managed to slip itself onto his right center finger and was even now bathing GL in some kind of a healing aura. 

Robin kicked off over to Green Lantern's side. GL wasn't awake yet, but according to the medbed's readings, he wasn't far from it. Robin checked the indicators closely to ensure that they were probably accurate. 

Wonder Girl's entrance with several large containers filled with water caught Robin's attention. They hurriedly drenched Aqualad, or rather, they tried to. Because the gravity was still not on, the water came out of the containers in big, clear globules. Robin and Wonder Girl found themselves having to gently redirect the water bubbles to Aqualad's sleeping form. 

"WG! You get *that* one! I'll get *this* one!" 

Wonder Girl nodded wordlessly, concentrating on the task at hand. Both Titans went after their fugitive water globs with an earnest frame of mind. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the slightest touch only resulted in a big glob, becoming several smaller "globlets". If it weren't for the seriousness of the situation, Robin would probably be giggling like a small boy. 

"Robbie, it's no use! We've gotta get the gravity back! Why don't I go forward and see if I can help Speedy?" 

Robin nodded in agreement. "Go!" Wonder Girl left immediately. 

Chasing the water globs reminded Robin so much of one particular Saturday afternoon that he and Bruce spent together at Gotham City Central Park. Just the two of them... 

As fate would have it, that afternoon started out less than ideal. Dick overheard Alfred insisting that Master Bruce spend some quality time with young Master Dick. Dick's first reaction was that he didn't want to go on an outing with Bruce if his guardian was forced into it. 

The day was saved, however, when to Dick's delight they discovered that Alfred had included a bottle of "Magic Bubbles" with their lunch. Bruce claimed he'd no clue what to do with the bottle of mysterious liquid, but Dick certainly did! As a toddler, he'd spent many hours chasing the bubbles his Mom blew for him. 

Dick quickly introduced Bruce to the magical art of bubble making. That afternoon would always hold a special place in Dick's heart... 

But now! They needed to get that water to Aqualad. If the medbed's readings could be trusted they showed that Aqualad's vital signs were getting critical! And Kid Flash! Why was he still unconscious? His readings were normal. Would it be safe to try and wake him? To what purpose? What could Kid Flash do? 

"..." Robin pushed off and hurried to Kid Flash's side. Gently, so as not to cause him any distress, Robin began to gently tap his teammate on the cheek. 

"Kid Flash! Flasheroo! Wake up, Twinkletoes! I need you, Flasheroo! Wake up!" 

Kid Flash's eyelids began to flutter. His medbed readings indicated that Kid Flash was close to regaining full consciousness. Robin's "gentle" ministrations became a little more desperate. 

"Kid Flash! Come on, Flasheroo! I *need* you! I need your speed! Wake up!" 

At last, Kid Flash's eyes opened fully. He lay there slightly dazed, his confusion obvious. He groaned, bringing his hand up to his head. 

"Ohhhhh...did you get the license plate of that truck?" 

Robin grinned, his relief that Kid Flash was all right washing over him. "Yeah, but I don't think they'll sue." 

"Robbie...what happened?" Kid Flash croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Robin's grin faltered somewhat. "I was hoping that *you'd* be able to tell *me*! But look, we don't have time. Wally, you think you can do a little superspeed for me? You feel up to it?" 

"I think so," Kid Flash replied. He sounded so tired and weak that Robin doubted the junior Speedster would be able to do as he asked. 

"Here, let me help you sit up...and watch the quick movements. We still don't have any gravity, so you could end up on the other side of the room." 

Kid Flash nodded his understanding. He sat up slowly, spotted the floating water globules, and blinked his eyes without comprehension. Feeling his equilibrium returning, Kid Flash slowly got to his feet, still watching the floating water bubbles as if mesmerized. 

"I hate to ask, but what--?" Kid Flash didn't finish his sentence. He just pointed at the water globs with his chin. 

Robin grinned embarrassed. "That's the superspeed thingie I need you do. Can you somehow make those water globs stop...well, *globbing*...and make them splash down on Aqualad? He's really in trouble." 

They both looked at Aqualad's vital signs. It was bad. 

Kid Flash didn't need a second request and vibrated his arms to the necessary speed. He concentrated on manipulating the air molecules around the floating globs, carefully gathering the water over Aqualad. With a final flourish, Kid Flash did something with his fingers and "fooled" the water into believing that the supersonic vibrations he was subjecting it to was actually gravity. 

The water molecules began to fall in a gentle rain over Aqualad, bathing him in a soothing spring shower. 

Aqualad's redline medbed readings slowly fell to normal green. Kid Flash brought his arms back to normal and stood quietly over his soaking wet, but healthy teammate. Best of all, Robin noted privately, Aqualad wasn't 'pregnant' anymore. 

"Good job, Kid Flash. Whatever happens, Flasheroo, it's been a real honor to have served with you. You're a great teammate and a loyal friend." 

Robin held his hand out to Kid Flash. Kid Flash stared at his friend and leader, momentarily stunned by the accolade. Then bursting into a luminous smile, he took Robin's hand and shook it proudly. 

At that moment, Speedy's voice came over the ship's loud speakers. 

"Attention on board! Attention on board! Thirty seconds to artificial gravity! Hang on to something, guys, 'cause it's gonna get bumpy in a few secs!" 

Although, both Robin and Kid Flash were already on the floor, the sudden return to Earth-one gravity could possibly cause them to end up taking a nasty fall and perhaps injuring themselves. 

Robin immediately took out a grappling hook from his utility belt, quickly threw a batline around a metal pipe running along the ceiling, and hooked himself to it. Robin then pulled himself a few feet above the floor. Turning, he smiled and once again held his hand out to Kid Flash. 

"May I have this dance, Flasheroo?" 

"Oh, Robbie...You say the *sweetest* things," Kid Flash joked in a high falsetto. Robin grabbed him by the wrist in one of the grips his father had taught him for the trapeze. Almost as soon as his hand closed around Kid Flash's wrist, the gravity came back on. 

Robin's safety line kept them from hitting the floor unexpectedly. Robin's arm suddenly felt like it was being pulled out of its socket. He quickly lowered them both to the deck below. 

"That was fun," Kid Flash observed ironically. "But next time, *I* get to lead." 

**** 

Chapter Fifteen 

As the armada entered the star system's gravity well, the mother ship transmitted a power down order. As one, the thousands of ships dropped down to normal space and sub-light speed. 

The Earth's first line of defense, her greatest heroes, prepared to meet the greatest threat their home world had ever faced... 

**** 

"Speedy! Wonder Girl! Great going!" Robin's voice rang with boyish admiration over the intercom. Speedy and Wonder Girl's eyes met and smiled at their leader's exuberance. "So...do we know where we are, yet?" 

"Uh, not yet, Boy Wonder," Speedy said. "But not to worry. I can find a bullseye with my eyes closed. I'll have our location to the nearest, uh, nebula...or whatever, in two shakes." 

Wonder Girl rolled her eyes at this. Astro-navigation did not sound like Speedy's strong point. 

"Robin," Wonder Girl interrupted, her voice crisply businesslike, "we have no known point of reference at the moment. Our sensors indicate that we may be several million light-years from home." Wonder Girl paused. There was shocked silence over the intercom. "Robbie, somehow we seem to have been transported outside of the Milky Way Galaxy." 

"Are you certain, WG?" Robin asked in a small voice. 

"Not really," Wonder Girl admitted. "But I'm pretty sure." 

"Okay, Wonder Girl, Speedy. Just do your best. See if you can get us a location. If we at least know where we are relative to home, we should be able to lay a return course. Robin out." 

"Lay a course home, he says," Speedy said sarcastically. "By the time we get home, our great-great grandchildren will be dead!" 

**** 

"Uhnnn-nnn..." Robin turned at the groans coming from Green Lantern's medbed. Simultaneously, Aqualad began stirring. 

"Flasheroo, check Aqualad. I'll see to GL!" Robin stated. Kid Flash nodded and zipped in a scarlet and gold blur to their teammate's bedside. 

Robin approached Green Lantern's medbed with caution. Hopefully, the Emerald Warrior would wake up as his old self again; however, Robin took precautions. He quickly unclasped his yellow cape and surreptitiously readied a Batarang for throwing. GL's ring was vulnerable to the color yellow. Robin stopped approximately three feet from GL's side and waited. 

GL groaned again and brought his hand up to his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and lay there in a daze. 

"Uhnnn-nn...Where am I?" Green Lantern croaked in a dry whisper. Kid Flash was instantly at GL's side with a glass of water. 

"Kid Flash! Don't!" Robin cried out in warning. But it was unnecessary. Green Lantern drank gratefully, then turned his head and waved the glass away. 

"Thanks..." GL managed. He sat up slowly, his eyes blinking in the garishly bright interior lights of the ship. GL brought his hand up to his head again. "Anybody get the license plate of that truck?" 

Robin and Kid Flash grinned broadly. Kid Flash giggled. "That's what *I* said! Must've been some traffic pile up!" 

"Are you all right, sir?" Robin asked. "It depends, kid," GL grinned lopsidedly, pain creasing his soft brown eyes. "If by 'all right', d'you mean, will I live?...Then, yeah, I guess I'm all right." He groaned suddenly and lay back down. "But I don't think I'm gonna enjoy myself for a couple of days." 

Robin and Kid Flash rushed to his side. "I don't understand, sir," Robin said worriedly. "The medbed shows normal readings!" 

"Physically, Robin," Green Lantern explained tiredly, his eyes closed, "I'm all right. But that alien particle beam packed a wallop and a half. It's thrown my equilibrium off...I feel like I'm on a sea voyage, and I'm a rookie sailor." 

"But, GL, the medbed would indicate that kind of reaction...that's physical and has tangible causes. Unless your vertigo is psychological...then, well, maybe you can just *tell* it to go away?" Robin finished this last in the form of a question. 

"*Tell* my body to stop feeling like a seasick sailor?" Green Lantern asked doubtfully. 

"Well, sir. If it's psychological, then the effects are strictly mental. Batman told me once that you have one of the strongest wills in the galaxy. Seems to me that a will that powerful should be able to tell its inner ear that the vertigo you're experiencing is all in your head? Can't your power ring do that?" 

"You know something, kid?" Green Lantern whispered tiredly, his eyes still closed. "You're a lot like your mentor...that's kind of scary for a boy your age." However, GL went still and an almost invisible green haze seemed to suddenly envelop him. Within seconds, GL blinked his eyes open again and a slow smile spread across his features. 

GL sat up on the edge of the medbed, then taking a slow, deep breath, stood gingerly. He flexed his arms, stretched, tested his balance. All normal. He turned and grinned at the Titans. 

"Robin, you just keep on being like your mentor," GL said gratefully. "Thanks, kid." He looked around at the infirmary. "So, can someone fill me on the situation?" 

Robin and Kid Flash exchanged slightly guilty glances. They'd separated a Green Lantern from his power ring. Obviously, that had been a serious tactical error. 

"Perhaps, I may be of help," a voice behind them volunteered. Aqualad was sitting up on his medbed. Kid Flash zipped over to his friend. 

"You okay, Gillhead?" he asked worriedly. 

"I believe so. Thanks to you...Twinkletoes," Aqualad said, shyly addressing Kid Flash by a nickname for the first time. Kid Flash grinned good-naturedly and punched the Atlantean on the shoulder. 

"What happened after I passed out?" Kid Flash asked seriously. 

"I'm not certain about everything...the details are somewhat jumbled, and there are some aspects that I just cannot seem to grasp. However, GL was..." Aqualad paused and glanced guiltily at the Emerald Warrior. 

Green Lantern stepped forward confidently. "Go on, son," he encouraged. "I was what--?" 

"You were trying to kill us, sir." Aqualad dropped his eyes in shame, as if he himself had been responsible for such a thing. 

"I was WHAT--?" GL's astonishment registered across his handsome features. Robin stepped up to him. He straightened to his full height and faced the senior hero. The junior detective's dark head didn't quite come up to chest level with the Emerald Knight. 

"Sir, it's all my fault--" Robin began. 

"No, Robbie, it was *my* idea, remember?" Kid Flash interrupted. Robin glowered at the junior speedster, giving him a look that stopped him in his tracks. Kid Flash backed off, his eyes widening. 

"After we destroyed the alien vessels' star drives, we transported you onboard," Robin explained to GL. "*I* gave the order to separate you from your ring. So, I'm responsible--" 

"You separated me from the ring? But, that's impossible! As long as a Green Lantern is living, he or she cannot be involuntarily separated from the power ring!" 

Robin shrugged. "I don't understand it then, sir. But when I rematerialized you onboard, I kept the ring in stasis in the transporter buffer. I had to do some quick reprogramming, but because the ring has such a unique signature, it was actually relatively simple to keep it dematerialized." 

Green Lantern stared nonplussed at the junior Caped Crusader. "Well, I can't explain it...yet! But go on. Aqualad says I was trying to kill you. What happened?" 

Robin continued. He explained all that had transpired. How GL's subconscious had taken over the _Avenger_, disrupting the ship's controls. Robin filled GL in on everything that happened up to the point that Kid Flash left him behind unconscious in the transporter chamber. 

"That's all I know. When I came to, the emerald shield around the transporter console was gone. We were dead in space...operating on emergency power only. I quickly rematerialized the power ring and brought it back to you." Robin turned to Kid Flash. "Your turn, Flasheroo." 

Kid Flash quickly provided the details as he knew them. "When the giant hands grabbed us, I couldn't vibrate out of them. I don't know why though. I mean, my costume's yellow. I *should've* been able to, but the faster I vibrated, the tighter the hold on me." 

"Maybe, 'cause it was all in GL's mind," Robin offered. "More of a dream than reality. So the physical laws that the power ring usually obeys weren't in effect." 

GL's eyebrows went up in admiration. "That's as good a theory as anything else, son." 

Kid Flash caught Aqualad's eyes. "Your turn, Gillhead." 

Aqualad's violet eyes widened in wonder at the memory. "I am not entirely certain of what truly happened. I remember being determined not to give up. The Titans were depending on me. I am the only one who has even the slightest esper abilities." Aqualad paused in reflection. His head dropped in momentary shame. 

"I remember feeling like I was a failure. Always being held back in reserve because of my need for water. Not being able to join the Titans in many of your dry-land activities. Feeling like a stranger in strange land, at times." 

Robin and Kid Flash exchanged shocked expressions at this revelation. "But Garth, that's not true!" Robin protested. "You're an equal member of our team!" He wanted to add, "Heck, I'm the liability...with no superpowers." Instead, he added, "We'll discuss this later. Right now, we need to figure out what happened." 

Aqualad nodded mutely, then continued his tale. "I'm not sure what is a dream and what is real...so I'll just relate what I remember." The others nodded... 

**** 

Speedy sat back and watched Wonder Girl work. He had no clue what she was doing, but admired her intense concentration. Wonder Girl noticed Speedy's gaze and smiled at him. 

"Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to *try* to help me figure out where we are?" she asked. 

"I figured I'd just sit here and cheer you on," Speedy said. "I'm afraid that I played hooky the day they taught astro-navigation in science class." 

Wonder Girl grinned at Speedy's nonsense. 

"It's quite simple, really," WG explained. "Well, maybe 'simple' is a bit of an exaggeration. For several years now, astronomers have been able to identify and measure spatial phenomena that have unique signatures: quasars, black holes, entire galaxies. If I can find two known astronomical bodies through their signatures, then I should be able to at least approximate our location." 

"Hmmmmm. I'm afraid that I must've been absent during *that* class, too," Speedy replied. "Maybe I should actually attend school more often. See if my bozo teachers can learn me something." 

"*Learn* me something?" Wonder Girl repeated, glancing askance at Speedy. 

"Just a joke, Wonder Chick," Speedy said slightly annoyed. Then under his breath, muttered, "I swear...you sound more and more like Batboy with each passing moment." 

"I would consider that a compliment," Wonder Girl said quietly, "except that I know it was not meant as such." She shook her head at Speedy, then returned to the task at hand. "I thought that by now you'd learn that we each have our strengths and weaknesses. Robin depends on each of us to do our part because we're a team. He knows that Amazonian science is far superior to that of Man's World, which is why he gave us this task." 

"Us?" Speedy asked derisively. "Don't you mean, *you*?" 

"Roy, Robin also believes in you. You may behave like there's nothing between your two ears at times--" 

"Ouch...gee, thanks--!" 

"--but he realizes, as do I, that it's all a big act! Roy, Robbie and I both have faith in you. I only wish that you could have faith in us...and in yourself." Wonder Girl held Speedy's gaze steadily. Finally, Speedy dropped his eyes and nodded reluctantly. 

"How can I help?" he asked simply. Wonder Girl smiled happily. 

"Well, I need you to man this monitor. If you see any shift in the quantum energy sensors from say...here to...here--" Wonder Girl indicated the change in levels, "--give a yell. Got it?" 

"Got it!" 

The two Titans promptly went back to work. 

**** 

"...The last thing I remember was calling on this mysterious purple essence growing within me," Aqualad explained haltingly. "I am sorry. I am unable to say it in clearer words." He looked at the others helplessly and shrugged. 

Green Lantern held his chin between his thumb and forefinger. He spoke quietly to the shy teenager. "You say this 'purple essence' felt like some kind of powerful force growing within you?" 

Aqualad nodded, wide-eyed. 

"You've *never* had any indication of such power before?" 

"No, sir. Never," Aqualad replied, shaking his head for added emphasis. 

Green Lantern shook his head. "I wish your mentor was here at the moment. Maybe he'd be able to put some kind of light into it. I mean, Aquaman might be aware of others like you. I'm sorry, Aqualad. My purview is outer space. I'm ashamed to admit that I know very little about the denizens of the deep." 

Aqualad dropped his eyes, almost in shame. "Even amongst our people, I am different," he said quietly. "My eyes seem to frighten others, and therefore, many Atlanteans believe me to be cursed. Before Aquaman found me and fostered me into his Royal household, I was completely alone. I had never even seen others of my kind. My sole companions were my pet walrus and other sea creatures." Aqualad shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps, I *am* cursed." 

"That's silly!" Robin protested. "Of course, you're not cursed. Different maybe...but so what? We're all different in one way or another. Look at Kid Flash...not many like him running around loose." He grinned, then added, "Thank goodness for that! Anyway, you can't get more different than *him*!" 

Kid Flash grinned, then zoomed around his team leader and friend in a mini- whirlwind, all within the space of an eye-blink. When Robin's vision cleared, his uniform had been turned around backwards. 

"Hey!" Robin laughed, startled. Next thing he knew, Kid Flashed zipped again. Robin stood still, blinking. His uniform had been re-straightened. "Okay, Flasheroo," Robin smiled evilly. "You know, of course, that this means war. You'd better not go to sleep tonight." 

Kid Flash's eyes widened at Robin's threat. He swallowed, then looked like he was trying to find the nearest escape hatch. 

Robin grinned. "Never mind, Flasheroo. I won't hurt you...much." Kid Flash blanched. Robin turned to Aqualad, all business. "Sorry, Garth. Look, we don't know if this strange power is real or not. So much of what happened to us these past few hours has the quality of dreams." At the others looks of confusion, Robin tried to explain further. 

"Well, look at GL's ring. When you two entered GL's dream world, the ring stopped behaving according to the physical laws that control it. It wasn't stopped by Kid Flash's yellow uniform." Robin shrugged. "I don't know, Aqualad. Maybe, since you were already in a kind of magical dream world, you were able to conjure up a power that could work under the dream's metaphysical laws." 

Aqualad nodded reluctantly. "Perhaps you are correct, Robin. Everything that happened *does* have a strange quality of non-reality. And yet--" Aqualad paused, his eyes taking on a faraway look. "And yet, there is also an underlying quality of truth." At the others' look, Aqualad shrugged. "I don't know...what I felt...it just somehow *seemed* right. As if it were an ability I've always known about, but didn't know how to call upon." Aqualad shrugged helplessly. "I know...it does not make sense." 

"No, son," Green Lantern disagreed. "It makes a lot of sense. Sort of like the first time I made mental contact with the power ring. It felt right...like something I'd always known was within me, but--" GL shook his head. "You're right, Aqualad, it *is* difficult to put into words." 

Kid Flash suddenly spoke up. 

"Kind of like the Speed Force that wanted me to join with it. I knew deep down inside that I shouldn't...that it would be the worst thing I could possibly ever do. But still, somehow I knew that joining it was something I'd wanted to do all of my life." He turned to Robin. "You saved my life, Robbie. Like I said, I'll never forget that." 

"It seems that this little space jaunt has turned into a real trip of self- discovery," Robin said ironically. "D'you think that maybe we could discover a way back home?" 

Green Lantern grinned. "Like I said, Robin...you sure do remind me of your mentor. You cut straight to the chase. Okay, question: What was our heading before we went dead in space? And what's our current position?" 

"We were headed towards the space anomaly," Robin said. "Tailing behind Batman and GA. At the speed we were going, we should've been about a standard hour behind them. That's when you...or your ring...took over the ship." Robin shrugged. "As for where we are right now..." He was interrupted by an urgent call from Wonder Girl. 

**** 

"Show me!" Robin ordered curtly. Wonder Girl nodded and moved over quickly. Speedy watched their interaction with growing jealousy. Robin and Wonder Girl just seemed so right together. They worked like they could read each other's minds...as if they didn't need words...as if they belonged together. 

The others crowded around, falling into their positions naturally, waiting for whatever information Wonder Girl discovered. 

"Speedy, please!" Wonder Girl called. "I could use your help." 

Speedy immediately hurried over to the monitor he'd been manning for the past half-hour. 

"As I was saying," Wonder Girl continued, "this signature is definitely from an identified quasar at the edge of the known universe...and *this* one..." she paused excitedly, "...*this* one has the unique signature from our own galaxy's center!" 

"If we triangulate," Robin concluded, "it places us at..." he paused, then finished awed, "...one hundred million light-years from our last known position!" 

"Whoa," whispered Kid Flash. 

"Suffering swordfish," added Aqualad. 

"Guess we won't be home in time for dinner," quipped Speedy. 

Robin swallowed. He stood very still for a long moment. He was the leader. It was his fault that they had all been brought to this. Therefore, it was *his* responsibility to get them all back. 

As he stilled his mind and quickly began going through and eliminating their options, Robin deliberately tried not to think about Batman and the parting words he'd had with him. More than anything, Dick wanted to take back those stinging words and tell Bruce how much he loved him. 

Now's not the time, Grayson, he chastised. Let's get these kids home to their families first! 

"Okay," Robin said, sitting down at the Command Console and beginning to type furiously. "We're here..." he typed, "...and our last known position was here." Robin typed some more. 

As the others watched and listened silently, Robin worked furiously at the Command Console computer. "WG, I need you to input the following figures..." Robin called out a string of numbers, letters, variables, and other figures that the rest of the Titans didn't recognize. "Let me know when you're done," he added. 

"Gotcha," Wonder Girl replied. Both teens worked quickly and efficiently for the next few minutes, Wonder Girl calling out the results of Robin's queries, and Robin reevaluating the results. Eventually, after a long tense moment, Robin and Wonder Girl smiled at each other. 

"Robbie, that's it! You did it!" Wonder Girl showed her exuberance by hugging Robin in her excitement. Robin allowed himself a small smile. 

"No, WG, *we* did it!" He looked around, taking in the rest of the Titans. "We *all* did it!" Unable to help himself, Robin's smile broadened into a wide grin. "We're going home, people!" 

The other Titans cheered at his words. All, that is, except Speedy. Wonder Girl's hugging Robin did not escape Speedy's notice. As far as he was concerned, the better man had won. Wonder Girl and Robin were obviously meant for each other. Speedy would do the honorable thing and step out of the way. 

"Great going, Batboy," Speedy said. "So, when do we get started?" 

"How about now?" asked Robin. "Ladies and gentlemen, please return your seats and tray tables to their upright position!" The others grinned at him. "Strap in Titans, 'cause the ride's gonna get bumpy!" 

The Titans quickly took up their customary positions inside the command section, dutifully bringing their systems back online, and ensuring that their seatbelts were secure. 

"GL, I know that you don't really need to secure yourself, but feel free to take any of the unoccupied seats." Green Lantern nodded. "Okay, team, in order to return to our last position, we have to go into max FTL--" 

Robin's announcement was met with groans from the other Titans. 

"Sorry, guys, but we need the speed, and max FTL is the only way to achieve the necessary faster than hyper-light travel. The good news...we'll get back to the Milky Way Galaxy. The bad news...we gotta spend a longer than recommended amount of time in FTL--" 

He was interrupted again by protests from the others. 

"But, Robbie," Kid Flash cried, "if we go into FTL for an extended period, the Speed Force will try to pull me in again." 

"Yeah, and I thought that long exposure to FTL was *bad* for you, Short Pants. Like smoking or hard drugs," added Speedy. 

"Yeah, but we have a secret weapon," Robin said. The others looked blankly at him. "We have the most powerful weapon in the universe right here on board...plus, we have the one person in the universe who really knows how to wield it properly." Robin looked over to where the Emerald Knight was sitting. "Right, GL?" 

Green Lantern grinned. "What do you need me to do, Robin?" 

"I need you to surround the _Avenger_ in a protective bubble. A sort of 'cocoon' that will protect us from the FTL effect. In other words, the _Avenger_ *will* undergo FTL, and we *will* travel through a 'tunnel' in space, cutting through the real space/time continuum. In effect, 'stopping' time on the outside. However, by *you* providing us with this protective envelope, *we* won't feel the same 'out of time' warping effect that we experienced on the way out here." Robin looked at Kid Flash. "And Flasheroo won't be drawn into the Speed Force either." 

The junior speedster flashed Robin a grateful smile. 

"I think that you have an exceptionally sound plan, Robin," Green Lantern declared. "When do we get started?" 

"Ready, team?" Robin called. At their nods, he cried out, "Let's do it, then!" 

"Titans TOGETHER!" 

**** "I don't *get* it," Green Arrow complained. "Those kids should've been here *hours* ago! Are you sure you calculated their ETA accurately?" GA closed his eyes in self-chastisement. "Forget I asked," he muttered. "I can't believe I said that." 

"They're in trouble," Batman muttered grimly. "Robin wouldn't miss his ETA otherwise." 

"Uh, not necessarily, my dark and dreary friend," GA said brightly. "The kid could've just decided to go around us! You know...take a detour." 

"We would've spotted the star-drive's ion trail," Batman countered. "Robin might be able to navigate using the Orion Arm's star systems to camouflage his trajectory, but there are certain areas of open space where he'd have to travel without benefit of cover. Besides, as much confidence as I have in the boy, he's not an experienced starship pilot. The simulator is not the same as the real thing." 

"No," GA conceded, "it's not." But then, he added to himself, you trained that boy. I have a feeling that counts for a lot. Unlike my so-called training of *my* junior partner. 

"We need to continue," Batman finally said. "I'll send their last known position to the JLA satellite. They'll have to send someone to investigate." 

GA looked at Batman as if he'd grown an additional set of pointed ears. 

"Bats, you didn't just say what I just heard you say! No way, are we abandoning the Titans! If the kids are in trouble then it's up to us to help them!" 

Batman didn't bother to reply. He continued resetting his coordinates, readying to get underway. 

"Listen, you cold bastard!" GA yelled hotly. "Those are *our* kids out there! Mine and yours and Barry's and Arthur's and Diana's! We can't let them *all* down! They're all depending on us. What's the matter with you? Do you have ice in your veins? Don't you even care about Robin? How can you *be* so cold? That kid worships the ground you walk on." 

Batman didn't reply. GA stared at him nonplussed. 

"Strap in," Batman ordered. As Green Arrow reluctantly did as told, he noticed something strange. The right side armrest on Batman's command chair was inexplicably bent out of shape. GA's left eyebrow shot up to his hairline. The Bat cold-blooded? He shook his head. More like Batman felt *too* much. 

As they prepared to jump into hyper-light, GA reflected that this decision would eat at Batman's conscious for the rest of his life. 

**** 

The sleek, JLA cruiser seemed to appear out of no where, which technically speaking is exactly what it did. As the _Avenger_ jumped out of max FTL, the Titans took a moment to catch their breath. 

Before them, hanging in the darkness of the outer reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, was the 'space anomaly'. 

Maintaining full shields, Robin maneuvered the _Avenger_ in a 360-degree loop around the gigantic ship. The Titans watched wide-eyed as the ship spread out mile after mile below them. 

"That's the ugliest lookin' hot rod *I've* ever laid eyes on," claimed Speedy. 

"What do you make of her, GL?" asked Robin. 

"Enough gun emplacements to take out most Earth cities," he assessed critically. "Several veins of yellow running along its outer hull. I think that I should be able to work around them, however. As humongous as this thing is, I don't think I'll have any problems finding a way in." He paused. "Wish Supes was here, though." 

"Don't worry, GL," Robin said quietly. "Batman should be arriving soon." 

Green Lantern gave the Boy Wonder a warm smile. Impulsively, he reached over and tousled the boy's head. 

"Yes, he sure will, won't he?" GL asked fondly. Becoming businesslike, he intoned, "Okay, Titans, here's where we part ways for a while. I'm going outside to reconnoiter. When Batman arrives, point him in my direction...and at that time, *you* kids go home! Do you understand me? There are a lot of people who are deathly worried about you. Whatever happens, you Titans are to stay out of it. Is that clear?" 

The Titans exchanged rueful glances, then each in turn nodded reluctantly in understanding. 

"Good," GL said, giving them each a warm smile. "Robin, Titans, it's been a pleasure teaming up with you. You kids have made your mentors *and* the rest of the JLA proud today." 

As he spoke, Green Lantern enveloped himself in an emerald field. As the field grew in strength, he waved jauntily at the Titans, then walked *through* the _Avenger's_ portside bulkheads. The Titans watched, open-mouthed with awe, as the Emerald Knight simply 'stepped' outside into the cold vacuum of space. 

"So what do we do in the meanwhile?" asked Speedy as soon as GL was gone. "Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?" 

"No way, Boy Bowman," replied Robin. "We go in and scout out the place...try and make first contact with whatever intelligence is controlling that thing. When Batman and GA arrive, we give them a full briefing on our findings." 

"But Green Lantern ordered us to--" Aqualad began. 

"And I've no intention of obeying that order, Gillhead," Robin said harshly. "But this doesn't mean that *you* have to tag along. This whole enterprise is strictly voluntary!" 

"I was not implying that we should quit," Aqualad protested. "I was only pointing out that if Green Lantern doesn't want us to pursue this goal, then he has the capability to stop us." 

"I know, A-lad," Robin acknowledged tiredly. "I know. But there's nothing and nobody who's going to keep me out of this." 

"I'm with you, Robbie," broke in Kid Flash. "Heck, it's just one ship. I say we go in, demand that they take us to their leader, and order them to surrender. Simple. Mission accomplished." 

Kid Flash looked at the others for approval of his plan. They just stared at him as if he were a bug that needed squashing. 

"Hey, it's a great plan!" he protested. "Tell 'em, Gillhead." Aqualad simply shook his head and rolled his eyes. 

"Look, even though Twinkletoes here has proven yet again that he's an idiot, he *does* have a point," Speedy offered. 

"I do?" Kid Flash asked surprised. "Hey, who's an idiot?" 

"What do you mean, Archer?" asked Robin. 

"I mean that stopping this thing from obliterating the Earth should be our primary mission. Deadly force should be in effect. I mean, we *are* at war, aren't we?" 

"Not necessarily, Speedy," Robin said. "So far, we have a deadly misunderstanding and a failure to effectively communicate. Our primary concern should be to establish contact, learn everything we can about them, and somehow stop them from attacking Earth. Hopefully, steps one and two will lead naturally to step three." 

"Yeah, and hopefully step three won't lead to us being waxed once and for all!" added Speedy sarcastically. 

"Robin," Wonder Girl said quietly, "you know that whatever you decide we're all behind you." 

Robin smiled warmly at Wonder Girl. He reached his hand out to hers, giving it a grateful squeeze. 

"Thanks, Donna," he said softly, breaking his 'no first names' rule. "I really appreciate that." Turning to the others, Robin once more assumed the mantle of the Titans' leader and began crisply giving orders. 

"Take your places, everybody. Whatever's waiting for us on the other side...we're going in!" 

**** 

End Part 3 

1 


	4. JLA/Titans: Invasion! (Part 4)

Title: JLA/Titans: Invasion! Author: Syl Francis Email: efrancis@earthlink.net Part: 4 Rating: PG13 Word count: 20,553 

**** 

Summary: Our heroes arrive at the mother ship and encounter a few setbacks; meanwhile, the JLA struggles to keep the advancing armada from destroying the Earth. Will the Titans succeed in communicating with the mother ship's Artificial Intelligence? 

Acknowledgement: I'd like to thank The Great Book of Oa website for the background information on Green Lantern and RoyToys The Unofficial Arsenal Fan Site. These two fan run sites are both exceptionally informative. 

As always, much thanks to Terri and Dannell for their patience and assistance; their critical input was priceless in the final development of my story. 

Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome! 

Copyright 1999 

**** 

JLA/Titans: Invasion! by Syl Francis 

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." (Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice") 

**** 

Chapter Sixteen 

The last surviving starship of a lost race, long-destroyed by the murderous Krghlm, experienced a momentary 'twinge' of fear. The ship's artificial intelligence deployed its entire armada to the distant yellow star earlier. Now, its sensors detected an intruder in its vicinity. An intruder so small it barely registered. Nevertheless, the ship recognized the alien's signature as the one that disabled two of its scouts. 

The ship's artificial intelligence immediately sent out an intruder alert throughout its length. As the ship slowly responded by powering up to full defensive status, a small blip encroached its shielding through a long- forgotten, eons-old emergency escape hatch... 

**** 

"There she is," Green Arrow intoned unnecessarily. Batman ignored him as usual and continued preparing for boarding. When he finished shrugging into the JLA exo-suit, Batman turned impatiently to his unwelcome companion. 

"Are you coming?" he asked, pointedly holding out a second exo-suit. GA looked at the Dark Knight and grinned sheepishly. Batman was ready to go, while he'd been gaping at the sight of the tremendous ship, like some green kid. GA took the suit and donned it clumsily. 

"Who made these things, anyway?" he groused. "It has more clasps, snaps and zippers than--" 

"--Here. Let me," Batman interrupted. Before GA could react, his grim partner had him suited up properly. "Let's go." Batman immediately walked to the transporter chamber. 

Before stepping into the sole chamber, Batman quickly punched in several coordinates into the control console. Without a word, he turned to GA and slapped him on the arm. 

"Don't lose that," he growled. He stepped onto the transporter portal and vanished. GA looked at his upper arm where Batman left a small triangular patch with the JLA logo. A transporter automatic recall device, GA realized. He felt chagrinned. 

"I wouldn't have thought of it," he sighed. He looked at the transporter chamber. He hated the damn things. Hated having his essence turned into so much plasma. "Okay, Doctor McCoy," GA grumbled, paying homage to Star Trek's famous doctor, "let's get going!" Without further hesitation, GA stepped onto the portal and followed Batman into possible oblivion. 

**** 

"I should be in Atlantis with my people," Aquaman said angrily. "I am a creature of the sea. Out here, I am less than useless." 

Wonder Woman glanced at him askance. 

"We can only do our best, Arthur," she said gently. "You know that. I may not be a product of Man's World, but that doesn't make my love for my home world any less. If we cannot stop this invasion, then my beloved home on Paradise Island, as well as yours beneath the Seven Seas will cease to exist. We are not many, but we must nevertheless draw a line on the sand out here." 

Aquaman glowered at the Amazon Princess. 

"You are correct, Diana. However, it does not make my decision to be apart from my Queen and my people any less difficult. They tolerate my role as a member of the JLA, but they do not understand. Nor do I at times. Especially now. And young Garth. He is my right arm...whatever shall I do without his good counsel and companionship?" 

Wonder Woman placed a comforting hand on Aquaman's arm. "He will be all right, Arthur. They all will. We must continue to believe that. We must." 

Aquaman looked deeply into his beautiful teammate's eyes, seeking doubt or possible hesitation. All he saw was strength and courage, as well as the confidence to continue the battle despite the long odds. 

Aquaman placed his hand on hers momentarily and smiled warmly, a first for him. 

"Thank you, Your Highness," he said, his eyes twinkling. 

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," she replied, smiling in turn. 

**** 

"What do you have, Supes?" the Atom's voice crackled over the small headset. 

"Do you want the bad news or the *really* bad news first?" Superman asked wryly. 

"..." Superman could hear a throat being cleared over the open channel. "Uh, how about the not-so-bad news first?" 

"They're hanging at the edge of the solar system, just on the other side of Pluto's orbit," Superman reported. 

"And the 'really bad' news?" Atom asked tentatively. 

"They're arming their plasma warheads even as we speak." 

"I suppose a preemptive strike is rather pointless at this juncture?" the Flash cut into the conversation. 

"I don't think that even *I* could be of much use, Barry," Superman admitted. "But that doesn't mean that I won't try. Pa always told me that a man can do anything he sets his mind to." 

Flash gave a small laugh. "'Pa', huh? Remind me to say thanks to your 'Pa' when this is over, Clark." 

"Thanks? For what?" Superman asked, genuinely puzzled. 

"For *you*, you Super-dope!" Flash yelled. Superman blinked in surprise. A few seconds later, Flash added, "Be careful, Supes. We'll stand by for your call." 

"Roger. Superman out." Superman turned his x-ray and telescopic vision on the waiting armada. "Talk about an impossible mission," he muttered. 

**** 

The _Avenger_ powered down and came to a soft landing. The small cruiser sat quietly for a few moments, then its outer hatch opened, almost tentatively. Five figures moved out quickly, keeping to the shadows. 

At an intersection in the endless corridors, the group split into two. Two shadows zipped suddenly towards port within the blink of an eye. 

The remaining three continued forward. Suddenly, one of the three rose, in defiance of the artificial gravity. Simultaneously, several deadly particle beams fired upon the small group. 

"Take cover!" called Robin. He saw Wonder Girl dodge under two beams that had her targeted. Aqualad meanwhile was running and diving to avoid being hit. Robin looked around the corridor, his sharp eyes taking in every minute detail. Spotting a likely target, he quickly took out a Batarang and let fly! 

Instantly, his Batarang found its mark and one of the particle beams was instantaneously silenced. "WG!" he called. "To me! Hurry!" Wonder Girl immediately turned towards Robin and dove in his direction. At the same moment, Robin began sprinting. He lifted his arms to indicate he wanted her to pick him up. Wonder Girl complied immediately. 

"Over there! Quick!" Robin cried, pointing. Wonder Girl instantly flew him in the direction he'd indicated. Getting a good position, Robin threw another Batarang. Abruptly, a second particle beam was silenced. 

"Down!" he ordered, pointing towards Aqualad. Soon, the three teens were behind protective cover. "Okay, I count three more particle weapons," Robin reported. "Aqualad, I need you take *that* one out." He pointed towards the far left of the corridor. "WG, you take that one over there." This time he indicated one nearer the ceiling. "I'll take this one." He looked at his friends. "Ready?" They nodded. "Let's go!" 

**** 

Speedy watched openmouthed as Kid Flash zoomed in a blur of red and gold, taking out the deadly beams that ambushed them. In less than a second, all of the particle weapons were knocked out. 

"I'm beginning to feel useless again," Speedy muttered. 

"Why's that?" asked Kid Flash behind him. Speedy spun around, his heart pounding rapidly. 

"*Don't* do that!" he gasped in protest. 

"Don't do what?" asked Kid Flash innocently. Speedy sighed. Robin hates me. That's the only explanation possible. Why else would he team me with brainless here? 

"Never mind, Twinkletoes," Speedy said. "Come on let's look around. Robin said that the power core should be in this area--" 

"Found it!" Kid Flash said, tapping Speedy between the shoulder blades. Speedy whirled around, his heart in his throat. 

"*Don't*--!" Speedy bit off what he was about to say. What was the use? The Kid was only doing his job. Unfortunately, he was just too dumb or innocent to know that his disappearing/reappearing act was giving Speedy a twitch! 

Kid Flash was staring at Speedy with wide eyes. "Your face is all red. Are you feeling okay?" 

Speedy nodded, not trusting himself to speak. 

"Yeah, Twinkletoes," he rasped. "I'm just hunky-dory...Why don't you show me what you found, okay?" 

Kid Flash gave his teammate a bright and eager smile. "All right!" 

Before Speedy could respond, he felt himself being moved at supersonic speeds into the bowels of the ship. Robin, I'll get you for this, he promised darkly. 

**** 

Robin's third Batarang found its mark. One more particle weapon down, he thought with self-satisfaction. He heard a yell behind him. Wonder Girl! She was in trouble. He looked up toward the high ceiling where she was dodging the beam in a sort of deadly mid-air ballet. 

Wonder Girl expertly deflected the beam with her bracelets, but before she could recover, she was instantly targeted again. Robin could see that she was quickly tiring out. 

Taking out his grappling gun, Robin shot out a line and instantly lifted to her aid. His bat line found the only protrusion in the corridor's ceiling, the particle weapon's metallic bracket, and looped several times around it. 

As he rose, Robin took out two pellets from his utility belt. Coming up and swinging over the weapon, Robin tossed the pellets at the particle weapon as he passed above it. The results were instantaneous. A bright flash, followed by a brief acrid burning smell, hinted that the weapon was now so much slag. 

The pellets were comprised of a corrosive acid encased within an explosive outer shell. The force of Robin's throw caused the outer casing to explode on impact in a bright flash; this in turn, released the corrosive acid contained within the shell, an acid which could eat through titanium steel. 

As his pellets found their mark, Robin released his line, somersaulted in midair, and landed gracefully. He looked up and waved at Wonder Girl. She waved back and blew him a 'Thank you' kiss. They both turned and looked over to where Aqualad was having his own battle. 

They both hurried to the Teen Atlantean's aid. 

**** 

Aqualad was in trouble. He'd tried several stealth approaches towards the deadly weapon, but was thwarted at each turn. He was beginning to panic in despair. He wasn't good enough, he told himself. He was a fish out of water. How could Robin expect him to be able to do this? 

Aqualad didn't have any of those handy throwing weapons that Robin was armed with. Nor did he have any arrows. He couldn't fly and he didn't have superspeed. What *good* was he? 

Aqualad felt a cold fury building inside himself. He was angry at Robin for entrusting him with a solo mission. He was angry at himself for wanting to quit and proving once and for all just how totally useless he was away from the sea. 

"No!" he cried. "I won't quit. I won't let my friends down." With a renewed determination, Aqualad ran out into the open, immediately drawing the weapon's fire. As he ran, he was momentarily distracted and thus failed to duck to and roll on time. He felt the beam's burning energy cut through his left shoulder. 

"No!" he cried out once more, feeling himself falling into dark oblivion. As he fell, his surging fury suddenly manifested itself within him in a churning purple rage. In one last burst of angry effort, before darkness claimed him, Aqualad sent out a powerful bolt of violet energy from his normally gentle eyes. 

**** 

"Aqualad! Look out!" Robin called out in warning. Too late, the teen from Atlantis was hit. Robin searched his utility belt for another Batarang. He was still too far. Robin poured on the speed. He had to get within throwing range. He looked up. 

"WG!" he called. "Can you fly him to safety?" At that moment, the remaining weapon targeted its beam at the flying Amazonian Princess. Wonder Girl immediately began to fly an evasive pattern. Robin meanwhile had to somersault to avoid getting hit himself. 

Not missing a beat, Robin regained his feet and continued on his way to Aqualad's aid. What he saw, pulled him up short. To Robin's amazement, something totally unexpected occurred. A kind of purple beam of pure energy seemed to shoot out of Aqualad, effectively disabling the last weapon. 

Robin stood nonplussed for a moment. Then realizing that Aqualad was hurt, he hurried to his teammate's side. 

Turning the unconscious Aqualad over onto his back, Robin quickly examined him. The shy teen was badly burned on his left shoulder. 

"How bad is he?" Wonder Girl asked worriedly. 

"As bad as can be expected," Robin grunted in return. "However, the beam's clean energy seems to have cauterized the wound. This could reduce any chance of infection." 

Robin quickly took out his first aid kit and bound the wound as well as possible under the circumstances. When he was done, he turned to Wonder Girl. 

"Donna, you're the strongest one, and you can fly. You've gotta get Garth back to the _Avenger's_ infirmary and do what you can for him." 

"But Robbie, what about you? I can't leave you out here alone. It's too dangerous!" 

Robin laughed. "Are you kidding? I've grown up in Gotham City, remember? This alien spaceship's a walk in the park compared to that. Heck, even the weapons are a lot cleaner." He grinned at his friend with false bravado. Seeing her real concern, Robin dropped his eyes. Looking up slowly, he held his hand out to her cheek. "Hey, we've got a job to do, remember? Aqualad did his part, now we have to do ours. We can't quit now." 

With a heartbroken cry, Wonder Girl reached across and hugged him. "Oh, Robbie, *please* be careful. I couldn't bear it if something were to happen to you." 

"Heh," Robin laughed softly. "I don't think I'd much like it myself." Wonder Girl released him with a slight push. 

"Oh, you," she said, laughing slightly. 

Growing serious, Robin continued, "But if something *did* happen to me, then I'd expect *you* and the others to carry on. Promise me, Donna, that if something *does* happen to me, you *will* carry on as Titans leader." 

Wonder Girl looked at him startled but nodded reluctantly. "I promise," she whispered. 

Holding her hand, Robin stood. Pulling her to him, he hugged her closely. "Take care of Garth," he whispered fiercely. 

Robin released her and quickly turned, continuing on his mission to the ship's control center. He'd wanted to say so much more to Wonder Girl, but what was the point? Donna liked Roy and that was that. Dick Grayson was relegated to the position of best friend and brother in her heart. So be it. 

If Robin were to meet his end here, then he would face it as a man. Like Batman taught him. As he ran down the endless corridors and climbed an infinite number of ladders between decks, Robin's mind turned towards his mentor. 

Whatever happened, Robin wouldn't let Batman down. 

**** 

"The atmosphere is safe for humans," Batman reported. He immediately began removing his exo-suit. Green Arrow followed his example. "Don't forget the transporter automatic recall tab," Batman reminded him. 

GA nodded, feeling like a kid sidekick. He was beginning to have a tremendous amount of respect for Robin. How did the kid put up with Ol' Smiley, he wondered? GA had to admit, though, that as little as Batman said aloud, it was obvious that his mind was working overtime. He always seemed to be five or six steps ahead of everybody else. 

GA looked around. According to Batman they were amidships, near the power core. Their job was to attempt to disable the ship's warp core, and hopefully stop its relentless advance towards their solar system. Their secondary target was the ship's control center. Their mission was to establish contact with the ship's intelligence and somehow convince it to stop its attack on the people of Earth. 

If that failed, then they were to destroy the ship, not just disable it. 

As they made their way down the endless corridors within the bowels of the ship, the two men noticed definite signs that someone had been there ahead of them. There were numerous objects that appeared to be defensive weapons that had been inexplicably bent out of shape. 

Other signs that someone was ahead of them soon manifested themselves. Bulkhead doors whose internal mechanisms were removed and laid out on the floor were left swinging carelessly open. 

GA and Batman exchanged glances. At last, GA found incontrovertible proof that someone was there before them: a red arrow! GA examined it closely. It was one of Speedy's explosive-tipped specialties. Apparently, the micro-warhead failed to explode. GA looked it over closely. There! The detonator was defective. 

He shook his head. "How many times have I told that kid to check his arrows before he puts them in the quiver?" He looked proudly over at Batman. "They're here. The Titans are here. Can you believe it?" He narrowed his eyes. "When I get my hands on that Speedy, I'll--" 

But he was talking to empty air, because Batman was already gone. 

**** 

Batman moved quickly. More quickly than stealth recommended, but he didn't care. Robin was here. He was here on the ship. Momentarily forgetting his mission, Batman thought back to his parting words with his ward. Whatever happened, Batman had to ensure that Robin, no that *Dick*, knew just how he felt about him. 

He'd tried to tell Dick before he'd left, but as always when it came to matters of the heart, Bruce Wayne put his foot it and botched it badly. He had to set matters straight between them once more. 

As Batman rounded a corridor he came upon Speedy and Kid Flash. The two youngsters were seriously studying the readings of what Batman assumed to be the ship's warp core. 

"Where's Robin," he growled. Both Speedy and Kid Flash jumped as if shot. Batman couldn't tell which one was trying harder to hide behind the other. He repeated his question, impatiently. "Where's Robin?" 

"Really, Bats, they're just kids. Why don't you growl at someone your own size?" GA asked drolly. He looked a bit uncertainly at Speedy. "Hi, kid. I see you Titans beat us here." He held his hand out. "Roy, I know that I should've said something before I left, but--" 

Speedy didn't listen to the rest. Instead, he ran to GA and unselfconsciously hugged him. Then, in sudden anger, he reared back and punched him. 

"You *lied* to me! *Again*! I love you, Ollie, but it's over! If we get back home, I'm leaving!" 

GA ruefully rubbed his chin where Speedy had connected, hard! "You know, I'm getting just a little tired of being everybody's favorite punching bag. We'll talk about this later, Roy. Now isn't the time. But *when* we get back--not *if*--we'll talk...You, me, *and* Dinah! She's part of this, too. And no fists!" 

Seeing that the happy reunion was over, Batman once more asked about his partner. "Where's Robin?" 

Kid Flash zipped over to him. In his excitement, the junior speedster spoke at supersonic speed. "RobbieandAqualadandWonderGirlhaveallgoneforwardtothecontrol centertotrytomakefirstcontactwiththeship'sintelligence!" 

Batman scowled at Kid Flash. "Speak at normal speed," he said menacingly. Kid Flash's eyes widened and he unconsciously stepped back. Realizing that he was unnecessarily frightening the youngster, Batman relented and spoke surprisingly gently. "Kid Flash, I can't understand you when you speed-talk. Please, repeat what you said at normal speed." 

Kid Flash nodded nervously, cleared his throat, and repeated his earlier statement. "Robbie and Aqualad and Wonder Girl have all gone forward to the control center to try to make first contact with the ship's intelligence!" 

Batman nodded. "Thank you, Kid Flash." Batman was immediately rewarded with a bright, happy grin. 

Batman turned to Green Arrow. "GA, do you think that you and the Titans here can figure out the warp core's control sufficiently to program it to self- destruct, if necessary?" 

Green Arrow was about to reply with a distinct negative, when he was interrupted by Kid Flash. 

"Oh, Speedy and I have that under control, sir. Robbie kinda told me what to do, and I've done it." 

Batman looked skeptical. "What did Robin tell you to do?" he asked. 

"Oh, he told me to vibrate to the core's matching internal electromagnetic shield's vibration level, walk through the protective core shielding, and pull out anything that looked important...Like these!" Kid Flash pointed to several exceptionally large devices whose purpose Batman could only guess at. 

"'Anything that looked important'...Just how did you determine what was important?" Batman asked. 

Kid Flash shrugged. "I just do," he said. "Doesn't everybody?" The others looked at him strangely. "By the vibration," he said, as if explaining the obvious to a child. "The speed of the vibrations. The tone they emit...I don't know...It just sort of lets me know." He looked at them helplessly. "I don't know how else to explain it." 

Batman nodded. "And Robin *knows* that you have this ability to differentiate the importance of objects by the vibrations they emit?" 

Kid Flash nodded eagerly. "Sure he does! In fact, Robin is the one who showed me I could do it. He comes up with these ideas all the time. If he sees me doing one thing, like manipulating the air molecules surrounding an object so's I can lift it, then he'll tell me something like, 'Well, if you can do *that*, then it should be relatively simple for you to do *this*!'" 

Kid Flash waved his arms dramatically to emphasize his point. He gave a slight, excited laugh and continued. 

"And then Robbie'll have me do something with my superspeed that I've never even thought of! I think Robbie must be just about the smartest kid on the whole planet. And I'm his best friend." He added this last bit with a tinge of pride and awe. 

Batman surprised them all by giving Kid Flash a half-smile and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm glad that Robin has a friend like you, Kid Flash." 

The junior speedster blushed a bright pink. 

"Since the Titans have already incapacitated the warp core," Batman said by way of helping the boy recover his composure, "I recommend that we make our way to the forward Command Center." 

**** 

"Superman?" Atom's voice came through sounding worried. "Superman, we're detecting activity from the armada. Looks like the ion-impeller drives are coming back online. What can you tell us?" 

Superman quickly checked the nearest scout's engines. Sure enough, they were coming online. He shook his head. Apparently, he'd have to use force after all. 

"Supes?" Atom's worried voice buzzed in his ear. "Supes, are you there? Superman, are you--?" 

"I'm all right, Atom," Superman said quietly. "It looks like you people better start moving up. I think a movement to contact is a better tactic than a static defense. Fan out for widest possible spread. I'll try to disable as many of the enemy as superhumanly possible before they enter the Sol System." 

"Understood, Superman," Atom replied. "JLA out." 

Superman turned sadly towards the alien that had suddenly become 'the enemy'. "What a waste of new knowledge," he murmured in quiet anger. "What a waste of new resources." 

Superman turned his heat vision on the first target. He intensified his concentration, until a white hot jagged hole burned through the ship's defenses. It exploded in a pyrotechnic mushroom display of an ion-impeller/warp core rupture. 

Superman was already gone, engaging the next 'enemy'. "What a waste of potential new friends." 

The space immediately outside the Sol System burst in an aurora of mini-suns suddenly rising in a false dawn. But there was no birdsong, no joyful music to meet this new day, for in the silence of space the only sound one could hear was the horror screaming in one's own head. 

**** 

Chapter Seventeen 

The ship's intelligence 'felt' its fear increase. The fear of the unknown. The fear of the alien. The fear of the invader. For now, several of the ship's defenses had been breached by the unknown alien invaders. And several of the ship's defensive weapons had been nullified. Furthermore, several biological life-forms were moving steadily forward... 

**** 

Robin ducked, ran, somersaulted, came up and threw. "Stee-rike!" he called. "Woo-hoo! The crowd goes wild as Grayson once again shuts out the entire lineup!" Robin back flipped in triumph, a purely boyish expression of exuberance. He'd cleared another corridor of particle weapons. "That's thirty down and an infinite number to go!" 

Laughing devilishly, the Boy Wonder climbed yet another set of rungs. According to the schematic he'd downloaded from the ship's central computer, the control center should be on the next level. 

"And the defenses will probably be even tougher," Robin muttered. "Oh, well. As Dad used to say, 'It's show time!'" 

**** "This way!" called Speedy, pointing in the opposite direction that the senior heroes were headed. 

"And how are *you* so sure?" asked Green Arrow skeptically. 

"'Cause Robbie gave us a map," piped up Kid Flash. "Look!" He held out a ship's schematic as proof. 

Batman and GA exchanged rueful glances. Batman reached for the diagram that the junior speedster was holding. 

"Let me see," Batman ordered. He took the schematic and studied it closely. "How did Robin--?" 

"How did Robbie get it?" finished Kid Flash. 

"He tapped into the giant ship's central computer somehow," interrupted Speedy. "I don't know how. He and Wonder Girl did some fancy typing...calling numbers and other things out to each other...then, before we knew it, our ship was talking to the giant ship...Robin called it a 'handshake'...and it gave us what we asked for." 

Green Arrow looked askance at Batman. "Gee, Bats, why didn't *you* think of that? Looks like the kid is outdoing the old man, eh?" 

Batman didn't bother to answer. Instead, he studied the ship's plan and started down the correct corridor. As he walked, he allowed himself a small smile. Robin was doing himself proud on this mission. He was demonstrating a sound and mature leadership ability that seemed to maximize his teammates' capabilities. 

And as GA said, he was outdoing the old man. 

**** 

"Where are the others?" 

Wonder Girl whirled at the sound of the voice by the open hatch. Green Lantern! Her eyes widened. 

"Great Hera!" she exclaimed. "Green Lantern, you startled me!" 

"Wonder Girl, where are the others?" GL repeated. "I thought I told you kids to stay out of it, because this was too dangerous." He caught sight of Aqualad and hurried over to the boy's side. GL checked the medbed readings. 

"How is he? What happened?" he asked. 

Wonder Girl told the Emerald Knight how Aqualad had been injured. "He seems to be all right, but I can't be one hundred percent sure. These medbeds aren't programmed accurately for Atlantean physiology." 

"I know. I've raised the same concern a number of times at our JLA meetings. I'm supposed to be the resident 'expert' on space survivability," GL said ruefully. "However, Aquaman refuses to provide us with the appropriate data necessary to program them accurately." At Wonder Girl's look of incomprehension, Green Lantern smiled. "Aquaman does not wish to give us 'surface dwellers' sensitive information about his people. The kind of information that could easily be used against them in time of war." 

Wonder Girl nodded. She'd been raised a warrior and knew something about withholding sensitive information from allies and keeping one's enemies close. "I can understand the reasoning," she said. "However, it doesn't do poor Aqualad any good." 

GL studied the sleeping youth. The boy's pained grimace indicated that he was suffering despite the medication that Wonder Girl had started. GL spread his hands over the quiet form, and concentrating began to envelop the boy inside a protective emerald aura. As the aura's green glow grew in intensity, Aqualad's pain-filled scowl began to soften, until finally, he lay sleeping soundly and restfully. 

"What did you do?" asked Wonder Girl. 

"Something your young leader, Robin, taught me." He smiled at her surprised look. "I just helped Aqualad focus his will on the pain he was feeling. Now, whenever the boy feels the pain returning, he'll be able to see it clearly and step aside from it." 

"Robin taught you to do that?" Wonder Girl asked amazed. 

"Well, not that exactly, but the same principle. I've just sort of learned to adapt it to different needs." GL smiled down at the beautiful slip of a girl whose strength could topple a mountain. 

"And now, it's best that I go and find your friends," he added. "I've got to try to make contact with the ship's intelligence, before it destroys the earth. Take care of Aqualad." 

Wonder Girl nodded absentmindedly. "Make contact," she murmured. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Make contact! Of course!" Taking one last look at her unconscious teammate, Wonder Girl rushed to the control room... 

**** 

"Evasive action!" 

Wonder Woman immediately cut the JLA cruiser hard to starboard, then followed through by dropping 10,000 kilometers 'down' in a spiral spin along the ship's z-axis. She instantly fired the ship's forward thrusters and came up behind the enemy scout, firing with point-blank accuracy. 

The cruiser's fire control computer targeted its main batteries on the enemy scout's most vulnerable point, its impeller star-drive engine compartment. As Wonder Woman concentrated the deadly plasma particle beams on the alien's defensive shields, the earth's defenders were soon rewarded by yet another silent explosion in the blackness of space. 

**** 

"Barry! On your tail!" Flash heard the Atom over the ship's open channel. The fastest man alive instantly rolled his cruiser out of harm's way, his control super fast. 

"Thanks, Ray," Flash called, gratefully. As he spoke, Flash brought his weapons to bear on the enemy scout and fired. "Scratch another enemy ship!" Flash yelled over the JLA open channel. 

"Yeah, now we only have a few hundred thousand to go," the Atom replied wryly. 

"So, what are you trying to say, buddy?" asked Flash, laughing. "You wanna live forever?" 

"No, just long enough to see this year's Freshman class conquer Physics!" 

"Then, let's go!" Flash replied. "We got us a few hundred thousand ships to take down!" 

**** 

Wonder Woman turned a rueful glance towards Aquaman. They'd overheard their teammates' inane bantering over the JLA open channel. 

"Those two!" Aquaman huffed disapprovingly. "They jest during battle as if it were but a game to them. If they were officers in my army, I would reprimand them for such untoward behavior!" 

"Oh, Arthur!" Wonder Woman sighed. "Get a grip!" At the King of the Seven Seas' raised eyebrow, she smiled and shrugged. "I overheard Kid Flash say that to Speedy a few days ago. I believe it means 'to lighten up' or 'stop being so serious'!" 

"I am quite aware what the vernacular you've uttered means, Princess," Aquaman said stoically. "I was merely unaware that a warrior princess such as yourself would use such vulgarisms." 

"Chill, Arthur," Wonder Woman warned, concentrating on her piloting, "or I may have to hurt you!" 

Aquaman's eyebrow shot up even further at her threat. "Women!" he muttered under his breath. They belonged at home, not in the midst of a mighty battle. 

"Diana!" Black Canary's voice came over the intercom. "I need help! He's on my tail and I can't shake him!" 

"I see you, Dinah!" Wonder Woman called. "Hold on! We're on our way!" The Amazon Princess began calling out orders in rapid succession. "Arthur, the main batteries...that means 'weapons', Your Majesty...*man them*." At Aquaman's look of surprise, she barked impatiently, "*Now*, Arthur! Move your *tush*, man. We've got a teammate in trouble." 

As Aquaman jumped to do as ordered, Wonder Woman shook her head. "Who thought that placing a Princess and a King in the same ship was a good idea?" she muttered. She was beginning to think that Aquaman was right...perhaps he *was* less than useless in space. 

**** 

Black Canary zigged then zagged then zigged again. The bogey was still on her tail. The cruiser rocked back and forth in wild gyrations as the enemy's shots barely missed on either side. Suddenly, BC felt herself being slammed forward into the Command Console. Her seat restraints saved her from a head injury. 

A hit! She'd been hit. Quickly running a diagnostic, BC commanded the ship to immediately follow its programmed damage control procedures. Fires in the aft section were instantly doused. A hull breach was quickly vacuum-packed by foam sealant. The ship's shields automatically strengthened the weakened area of the hull. 

BC checked her diagnostics a second time and breathed a sigh of relief. "Today is *not* a good day to die," she muttered irately. "I haven't yet given Ollie a piece of my mind for leaving on that foolish suicide mission! When I get my hands on that idiot--!" 

Another shudder through the ship instantly interrupted her angry musings and brought Black Canary back to the problem at hand. She continued taking evasive action, bringing to bear all of her specially hewn warrior instincts, which had been developed from years of Martial Arts training. 

Suddenly, a second ship appeared on BC's monitor. It gave off a JLA friendly signature! Almost at the same time, a targeting signal from her relentless pursuer began its deadly warning buzzer. The enemy ship had successfully targeted her cruiser. 

**** 

"Diana!" Black Canary's voice called desperately. "Whatever you're gonna do...*Do it*!! The bogey's got me on a weapons lock!" 

"Arthur! Now! Fire!" Wonder Woman called. 

Aquaman instantly pressed the firing button. They were rewarded by a blinding flash of a mini-sun across their monitors, which automatically darkened to prevent sensory overload, then came back on line. Flying before them, in a sea of space debris, was their sister JLA cruiser. 

"Dinah!" Wonder Woman radioed. "Black Canary, come in!" 

"Whoo-wee!" Dinah's exuberant voice rang joyfully over the intercom. "That was some fancy firing there, Warrior Princess! Remind me to buy you a drink when we get back home!" 

Wonder Woman smiled. "Don't thank me, Dinah," she said. "Thank Aquaman. He fired the weapons." 

"Well, Hell's Bells," called Black Canary, "will life's wonders never cease? I owe you a drink, your Majesty! Just name your poison!" 

Aquaman's eyebrow shot up. "Why would I want to ask you for 'poison', Black Canary?" 

"..." They heard a long suffering sigh come over the intercom. "*You* talk to him, Diana. You're also royalty. You speak the lingo. Me, I'm just a little ol' girl from the city. Black Canary out." 

Wonder Woman turned to Aquaman. He gave her a bland look devoid of all emotion. About to open her mouth, Wonder Woman instead shook her head. "Never mind," she said, turning back to her Command Console. 

As soon as the Warrior Princess turned her back to him, the King of the Seven Seas allowed himself an enigmatic smile. 

**** 

Superman's battle seemed to be a relentless video instant replay. He'd concentrate his heat vision on a ship's engine room, burn a searing hole through its shields and its hull, then ratchet his special vision power to temperatures that rivaled the sun's. 

This was invariably followed by the enemy ship's star-drive reaching core overload, resulting in a brilliant explosion. 

As he worked, Superman felt himself growing numb with fatigue. Not a physical exhaustion, he knew, but a numbing feeling in his soul. To destroy, to kill...his adoptive parents, the Kents, taught him that one should always value life...all forms of life, no matter how small or different. 

In his travels Superman had encountered many different life-forms. Many were openly friendly. Many were reticent at meeting newcomers. Most were outright suspicious of strangers. And unfortunately, the majority of the latter met the stranger at the door with weapons. 

Not exactly how Ma and Pa raised him. They'd always invited friends *and* total strangers to the house for a hot meal and a friendly conversation. The Kents willingly shared their bounty in times of hardship with their neighbors, and vice versa. Clark was taught to always offer a hand to a man who was down, and to always use his incredible gifts to help his fellow man. 

Certainly his Pa taught him that a man defended himself when all else failed. But fighting was always a last resort. One should try to talk first. If this failed, then one should try to walk away from a fight. If *this* failed, then one should only fight in self-defense, and stop fighting as soon as his opponent was down. 

"We didn't even get to talk," Superman said sadly. "Because we couldn't understand the question." He paused as he destroyed another enemy ship. "Bruce, you're our last hope." 

**** 

"Robbie! Robbie, come in!" 

Robin dodged, rolled, leaped and threw with all his might. He somersaulted in midair, allowing his momentum to carry him to the next target. Finding cover, Robin paused momentarily to answer Wonder Girl's call. 

"Robbie, please--!" 

"Robin here, Wonder Girl," he gasped. "What can I do you out of?" 

"...?" His facetious question was met with startled silence. 

"Never mind, Wonder Girl," Robin said. "What do you want? I'm a little busy right now." 

"Robbie, I just figured out how we can make contact with the ship!" 

"Yeah? That's real interesting, Wonder Girl, but if you'll excuse me for just a sec...!" Robin suddenly dove out from under the beam's deadly energy. Taking out a set of explosive bolos, he twirled them to maximum velocity, then threw them at the particle weapon, which was already readjusting its sights on him. 

The corridor resounded with a loud, reverberating BOOM! 

The force of the explosion knocked the Boy Wonder off his feet, slamming him into the corridor's wall. He lay there momentarily stunned. 

"Robbie? Robbie, are you all right?" Wonder Girl's tremulous voice came over their Titans' wrist communit. "Robbie? *Please* come in!" 

Robin blinked his eyes to clear his vision. There was a loud, resounding ringing in his ears. His head felt like he'd been kicked. At last, he heard his teammate's voice, which by then reflected her increased agitation. 

"Rob--!" 

"--I'm here, WG," Robin said painfully. "I'm okay...just had the wind knocked out of me." Note to self, he added ruefully. Don't use the explosive bolos in an enclosed environment again. He looked around the corridor. The bolos had managed to take out the five remaining particle weapons in his path. "And just about the entire corridor," Robin added wryly. 

"Robbie, I think I've figured out how to make contact with the ship's intelligence," Wonder Girl began again. 

Robin took a deep breath, concentrating on what Wonder Girl was saying to him. "Sounds great, WG," he said shakily. "How?" 

"We've already established communications, remember? When we downloaded the schematics. If we can somehow tap into its 'meta-conscious', we should be able to establish a rapport." 

Robin sat where he'd been thrown, still not entirely at one hundred percent awareness of what they were discussing. Concentrating on what Wonder Girl was saying, Robin finally began to comprehend the ramifications of her words. 

"Of course," he whispered, the pieces coming together. "WG, you're a genius!" he said smiling. "Okay, here's the plan. You start trying to establish communications with the ship's intelligence from your end. *I'll* continue on my way to the ship's Command Center and attempt to make contact from there. A two-pronged attack should improve our chances. Copy?" 

"I copy, Robin," Wonder Girl replied. "Robbie? Be careful." 

"Hey, 'careful' is *my* middle name!" he replied laughing. 

Wonder Girl giggled. "Robin the Boy Wonder, you don't know the *meaning* of 'careful'!" 

Robin laughed in turn. "Like I told Batman, guess I'm just a slow learner. I've gotta go now, WG. As soon as I enter the control center, I'll start looking for some kind of input device. You go ahead and start running the 'handshake' program. That should give you a foot in the back door." 

"Right," Wonder Girl replied. "I'll get on it ASAP. Take care, Robbie. Wonder Girl out." 

As soon as Wonder Girl signed off, Robin began his final leg to reach the ship's control center. 

**** 

When she'd signed off with her friend and teammate, Wonder Girl was suddenly struck with another idea. She smiled to herself. "Keep this up, Donna Troy," she muttered, "and Dick will think you're vying for his job as leader." 

The teenaged Amazon Princess rushed to the ship's transporter room and quickly began to input a series of commands. First, she scanned the ship for signs of her teammates. Locking onto their individual signals, she immediately programmed the transporter room for automatic recall, just in case. 

Simultaneously, while scanning she found GL's unique signature. Grinning mischievously, Wonder Girl programmed his recall as well. "GL will be fit to be tied if I dare transport him again, but what the heck. This *is* a Titans' mission, so we gotta do what we gotta do. 

About to turn away from the transporter console, Wonder Girl spotted two additional signatures, she hadn't seen before. They were giving off a JLA signal, she realized elated! They *must* be Batman and Green Arrow. They'd arrived and were presently onboard the ship! 

Tamping her elevated spirits, Wonder Girl added their signatures to the __Avenger's__ already overloaded transporter. While the single transporter could only materialize one individual at a time, it was capable of transporting multiple persons and keeping them safely in the transporter buffer in temporary stasis. 

Satisfied with her efforts, the Teen Warrior Princess hurried back to the _Avenger's_ control center. 

**** 

Batman moved quickly through the ship's endless corridors. Green Arrow, Kid Flash, and Speedy followed him. As he strode rapidly down the miles of corridors, Batman tried not to think about Robin. The boy had certainly proven himself on this mission. 

Why couldn't Batman have encouraged Robin prior to taking his leave? Why did he have to belittle the boy's courageous efforts by saying that as the 'adult' *he* couldn't 'risk' a 'child' by taking Robin along? Why did he *always* say the *wrong* thing to his own son, Batman raged silently? 

When Speedy punched Green Arrow by way of greeting, Batman felt it in his own soul. For Speedy's angry, open feelings of hurt and betrayal were an echo of Robin's own look of hurt at being dismissed as a mere child. 

Things were going to be different, Batman vowed. When he found his boy, he'd make it up to him. "And things will be different," Batman said to himself. 

"What?" Green Arrow asked. "What'd you say, Big Guy?" No answer. "Hey, Roy how'd you Titans beat us here anyway?" GA asked as a way of making small talk. No answer. GA sighed. At least when Batman and Speedy hit him, GA knew that they were paying attention to what he was saying. This cold shoulder stuff was growing real old, real fast. 

"Hey, Flash Kid," GA began. 

"Uh, sir, that's Kid Flash," the teen speedster corrected timidly. GA's famous temper made the boy a little nervous. GA wasn't anything like his Uncle Barry. 

"Yeah, GA," Speedy derided. "Can't you even take the time to bother to learn the Titans' names?" 

"Sorry, Kid Flash," GA apologized sincerely. "I know how hard it is to get name recognition." GA recalled how the newsmen at first dubbed him 'Batman with a bow and arrow.' Then, later how they kept confusing him with Green Lantern. 

"S'okay," Kid Flash said shyly. 

"Tell me, kid," GA began again. "Just how did you Titans get here ahead of us?" 

"Well, sir, it's a long story, and I'm not exactly sure how we did it, but maybe you'd better ask *him*! He can probably 'splain it better than *I* ever could!" Kid Flash pointed suddenly to something or someone behind them. 

Batman, GA, and Speedy all turned as one. Green Lantern was at that moment flying towards them from down the corridor... 

**** 

Chapter Eighteen 

The ship's intelligence was nearing a state of 'panic'. Its scouts were increasingly coming under attack by unknown forces, and its own personal defenses were now completely destroyed. Worse, its forward hatches had just been encroached. The ship's intelligence knew cold, numbing fear... 

**** 

"I'm in!" Robin cried out elatedly. He did it! He'd traveled halfway across the galaxy and successfully made it into the mouth of the lion's den. Maybe Batman would finally notice that he wasn't just a little kid any more. Maybe Batman would see that Robin was an equal partner worthy of assisting him on all his missions. 

Yeah, maybe Batman would break into song the next they were fighting the Joker, Robin thought darkly. 

"Okay, can it, Grayson," Robin muttered. "You may be in, but you haven't beat this thing, yet!" Robin paused and looked around the darkened control room. He took out a penlight and began searching for a light source. 

As he swung the pencil-thin beam around, Robin realized that he was inside a large room. It held a variety of control consoles whose functions Robin could only vaguely guess at. Several dials and meters on the consoles showed an incredibly old technology, almost vacuum tube era, while others rivaled and surpassed the best and latest that WayneTech had to offer. 

Robin took a deep breath, got his bearings, and began walking towards a likely candidate for the main control console. He shrugged. He knew that the ship was fully automated; however, at some point in its history, it must've had a live crew. Otherwise, why did it have an atmosphere or artificial gravity? Whoever or whatever the crew had been who'd manned the ship, they'd been very close in physiology to Earth human. 

Robin noted that the consoles were all built at a height that allowed a normal- sized adult human male to man them. While the ship itself was gargantuan in size, most of the objects necessary to enhance the crew's standard of living were not. For example, the rungs on the ladders between floors were not spaced far apart for a giant, but rather for a normal-sized human. 

The same with the corridors. They weren't humongously proportioned, but rather about what one could expect to find in a large skyscraper. 

Therefore, Robin surmised that the likeliest console the human-like builders would have designated as the Command Console should be the large circular one in the center of the control room. Whoever the long-dead commander of the vessel had been, he or she (if the alien crew was divided into male and female, Robin added to himself) stood inside the semi-circular opening within the Command Console itself. 

As Robin approached it, he walked around it curiously, looking for an opening or some other means to let himself into the Commander's station. Not finding a means of entry, Robin placed his hand on the console, intending to vault over it. As soon as Robin touched it, however, the console began to glow and an opening instantly appeared. 

Robin stared for a second, taken aback, then recovering his composure, he walked into the Commander's station. As soon as he entered it, the console closed around him. 

"Okay, Grayson, you've made it this far...now what?" Robin carefully touched the console before him with his forefinger. As soon as he did so, the dials and monitors before him came to life. Several monitors began giving him live pictures from within the ship; others were obviously for monitoring the space outside the ship. 

A movement in one of the internal closed circuit monitors caught his eye...Batman! and Green Arrow! They were with Speedy and Kid Flash. Batman had made it here safely, Robin thought happily. He was all right. 

"Gotta talk to him," Robin muttered. He was about to contact him through his Titans wrist communicator, when Green Lantern appeared. 

**** 

"Just got word, gentlemen," GL said without preamble. "The Sol System is under attack by the enemy armada. Our remaining teammates are barely holding their own. We've got to end it here and now. They need us back home." 

Batman and Green Arrow nodded in understanding. 

"If they've already launched their attack, then it's too late for us to talk with this thing!" GA said, hotly. "We've gotta blow this monster out of space!" 

"I'm in agreement with Arrow," GL said. "The others are outnumbered by several thousand to seven. They'll never be able hold off the enemy's forward advance." 

"If that's true, then there's little point in our rushing back, is there?" Batman replied. "All we can possibly do is add emotional support. The difference between several thousand to seven and several thousand to ten is negligible. Our best bet still lies in establishing contact with the vessel's intelligence." 

"I agree with Batman," piped up Kid Flash. At the JLAer's looks of surprise, the boy blushed crimson, and he dropped his eyes. "Well, Uncle Barry always says that we should do everything possible to talk out our differences first *before* we turn to fighting." 

Batman gave the youngster a half-smile. 

"Listen to your Uncle Barry, Kid Flash. He's a good man." The others gave Batman looks of stunned surprise. 

"I do believe that's a compliment I just heard uttered by our enigmatic Dark Knight," GA said in awe. "Why am I not surprised that he wasn't talking about me?" 

"Don't worry, GA," Speedy began. "When the Bat wants an example that he doesn't want us to follow, I'm sure your name will figure prominently." Speedy grinned sardonically at his mentor. GA responded by giving his junior partner a sour grimace. 

"So, what's the plan, gentlemen?" asked GL. 

"We'll attempt to establish contact," Batman replied. "If that fails...we destroy it." This last was uttered with grim finality. The senior heroes nodded in agreement. 

The two Titans glanced at each other in silent awe. Speedy tapped his teammate on the sleeve. 

"Hey, Twinkletoes," Speedy said in a low voice, "what say you'n me zip on forward and--" 

Kid Flash gave Speedy a bright smile, and before the junior bowman could complete his sentence, dropped him off at the Command Center's forward hatch. 

"--meet up with Batboy?" Speedy finished, chagrinned. "I *really* wish you'd stop *doing* that, Twinkletoes!" Speedy was gasping for air and holding onto his chest as if stemming the onset of a heart attack. 

"What?" Kid Flash asked confused. "Stop doing what?" He paused. "Are you okay?" 

Speedy brought a shaky hand up to his forehead and wiped the cold beads of sweat that seemed to have appeared out of their own volition. 

"Never mind, Twinkletoes," he muttered. "Never mind." 

**** 

As his two teammates entered the Command Center, Robin gave them a distracted wave. 

"See you made it," he muttered. He was working intently at the Command Console. Every now and then, he'd call out a string of numbers, listen intently, nod, and continue on whatever he was doing. 

"Okay, WG, gotta go for a couple of secs...Speedy and Flasheroo just ambled in, and I'm about to put 'em to work." Robin turned to them. 

"Flasheroo, I need your speed," he called. Come on--" Robin felt a sudden breeze next to him. "--over here," he finished. Someone tapped Robin between his shoulder blades. The Titan leader whirled around in surprise. He glared daggers at his teammate. "Do that again, Flasheroo, and I may forget we're friends." 

"Now you know what I've been going through for the past coupla hours," Speedy said smirking. He leaned against the bulkhead, his arms crossed. 

Kid Flash flinched slightly at Robin's threat. He looked so hurt that the Boy Wonder relented. "Oh, forget it. Look, I'm sorry. You can't help your speed. In fact, I really need it right now." 

Kid Flash gave Robin a pleased smile. "How can I help?" he asked. 

Robin and Kid Flash immediately put their heads together and went to work. 

**** 

Speedy watched as his teammates worked intently on whatever they were doing. As always, he felt left out. On a whim, he activated his wrist communicator and called Wonder Girl. 

"Hey, Wonder Doll, ya busy?" he asked. 

"Wonder Girl here," the teen Amazon Princess replied. "Is that you, Robbie?" 

"No, Babe," Speedy said, slightly annoyed. "It's me, Speedy." 

"Speedy," Wonder Girl's pleased smile could be felt in her tone of voice. "What are you doing? What do you need?" 

"Nothing. And you," he replied. 

"What? I don't copy," Wonder Girl said, sounding confused. 

I don't copy, mimicked Speedy darkly. She's even beginning to talk like Bird- boy. 

"Speedy, I'm really busy right now," Wonder Girl said a bit briskly. "What did you want?" 

"Nothing, Wonder Doll," he said sounding tired. "I'm sorry I bothered you." He cut the communications and turned to where Robin and Kid Flash were still deeply immersed in their 'Grand Doings'. 

"Hey, Bird-boy," Speedy called out, "ya got anything for me? I'm beginning to feel as useful as a second string on my bow." 

Robin didn't look up. "A second string?" he asked distractedly. "Sounds nice...No, Flasheroo, like this--" he proceeded to show Kid Flash a complicated series of numerals. Kid Flash nodded, then picked up the speed until his hands were a mere blur. 

Speedy meanwhile gave up trying to make small talk and simply wandered around the Command Center. A tap between the shoulder blades caused him to begin a slow burn. *That* did it! So help him, he was going to punch the junior speedster's lights out! 

Speedy whirled around, his fist ready to deliver. He was met, not by Kid Flash's slightly vacuous smile, but by Robin's grim look. 

"I need you--" Robin ducked, grabbed Speedy's wrist, and threw him head over heels halfway across the Command Center. 

"Hey! What was *that* for?" Speedy protested. 

"I might ask you the same question," Robin replied quietly, his voice deadly. "You were about to take a punch at me." 

Speedy looked up at Robin from where he'd landed! He shook his head. This mission was just one humiliation after another. 

"I wasn't going to hit *you*," Speedy tried explaining. "I was gonna hit *him*!" He pointed in Kid Flash's direction. 

Robin looked at Speedy skeptically, a single eyebrow raised. "Oh really? And how were you going to accomplish that marvelous feat? By tactile telekinesis?" 

"Huh?" Speedy asked, clearly not understanding. 

"The power of mind over matter. Using your sense of touch to over come greater obstacles," Robin offered as explanation. "By punching *me* out, you'd somehow transfer the force over to Kid Flash." 

Speedy shook his head, his confusion having grown even more. "Robbie, I don't have the slightest idea what you're jabbering about. I thought you were Kid Flash pulling his 'sneak up on people' dirty trick. I was mistaken, that's all." 

Robin stared at his rebellious teammate a little longer, then finally nodded his head. "Okay, I can understand that. The Kid gets to me, too, on that one count." He walked over to Speedy and offered him a hand up. "Come on, Arrowhead, I need your knowledge of weapons." 

Speedy looked up at Robin's outstretched hand. Nodding slowly, he smiled slightly, feeling back in fold again. "You've got it, Batboy," he said, taking Robin's proffered hand. 

**** 

"GL, you're our resident space expert," Batman said. "You have the greatest experience with contacting alien races. Going forward and making contact should be *your* mission. GA, in case things don't go down in our favor, you need to find us an escape route. You and I have our auto-transporter recalls, GL has his ring. But the kids..." 

"Hey, speaking of the kids," Green Arrow spoke up. "Where'd they go? They were just here a second ago!" The others looked around. 

"Kid Flash," Batman said succinctly. "The boy probably just zipped himself and your junior partner out of here." 

"Speaking of the Titans," GL began, "they have their hijacked JLA cruiser inside one of the cargo bays. Wonder Girl is nursing Aqualad over there. That may be your primary escape route, Batman. GA, you could go there and prep it for an emergency take-off." 

"Can do," GA replied easily. "And Bats here? What're *you* going to be doing meanwhile?" 

"I'm going back to the engine room," Batman said quietly. "If all else fails, I'm making sure that this tin can doesn't ever wreak havoc on any other civilization in the universe." 

The two Emerald Warriors stared at the Dark Knight for a long moment. Finally, Green Arrow nodded. "Sounds like a plan." 

All three men rapped their fists together in a show of JLA camaraderie. "Let's go!" As they were about to part ways, Batman hesitated. 

"Hal...Ollie..." Batman's use of their first names stopped them both in their tracks. They stood and waited patiently for whatever he was going to say. "Robin...if anything were to happen to me..." He stopped. Finally, he said quickly, "Take care of my boy for me." Batman turned and disappeared into the ship's vast body. 

**** 

"What do you want me to do?" asked Speedy. 

Robin smiled. "Disarm the enemy," he said enigmatically. 

"Huh?" Speedy gave Robin a blank look. 

"I want you to figure out a way to send a signal, via the ship's Target Acquisition and Fire Control Computer to the armada. I want you to order the armada to stand down. Immediately." 

"Heh. You don't ask for much, do you?" Speedy said weakly. 

Robin shrugged. "If you don't think you can do it, just say the word. But don't take too long to decide," he warned. "At thousands to seven odds, I'd say that even the JLA is hopelessly outnumbered." 

"I didn't say I couldn't do," Speedy protested. "Did *I* say I couldn't do it? Sheesh!" He immediately turned to the nearest console and began running a systems check. 

Robin gently placed his hand on Speedy's elbow. "That's the life support station, Archer. The Target Acquisition Computer is over here." He pointed Speedy in the right direction. 

"I knew that," Speedy blustered. At Robin's look, he insisted, "I *did*." 

Robin nodded. "Of course," he said seriously. "Now get to it!" 

Speedy immediately began to run a diagnostics of the ship's fire control system. 

"Hey, Batboy," he called. "What if the armada's fire commands aren't being sent from the TAC, but rather from the Command Console?" 

"That's what I've got Flasheroo checking. So far, all we've found is command and control. The final command to go 'hot' *was* given by Command; however, the patterns, targeting, and rates of fire aren't controlled from there. At least, we haven't found any indication so far." 

Speedy nodded. Robin might be a geeky kid in an elf suit, but he knew his stuff. Didn't Batboy *ever* make mistakes, Speedy wondered? Robin could really give a guy a complex. 

Speedy's concentration was suddenly broken by a jubilant cry from the Command Console... 

**** 

Kid Flash worked at supersonic speed. Robbie's lessons on computer programming, coupled with the young teen's innate ability to *see* the complete puzzle before he had all the pieces finally paid off. 

When the junior speedster ran through hundreds of possible numerical combinations, he suddenly began to see a plausible pattern. Slowing slightly to sub-sonic speed, Kid Flash ran through the same sequence again. Not trusting his findings, he did it again. And again. With the same results. 

Grinning in triumph, Kid Flash suddenly called out, "Robbie, I think I've got it!" 

"You've got what?" All the three teens turned to the sound of the new voice at the Command Center's open hatch. Green Lantern! 

Robin rushed over to Kid Flash's side. "Show me," he ordered calmly. 

Green Lantern levitated over to where they were. He 'stood' in mid-air, above the Titans' shoulders, observing what the youngsters were doing. 

"Look," Kid Flash said, running the numerical sequence once again. Robin watched as the string of numbers began to coalesce into something that seemed to make sense. 

"See? This marker here...and this one here. It's repeated again several lines further down. When I run it through the translator, this is what I get..." 

Robin and Green Lantern watched, fascinated, as they read for the first time, a coherent message from their intergalactic visitor: 

WE COME IN PEACE. WE ARE THE NUL^~HT+N. WE COME IN PEACE. WE ARE THE NUL^~HT+N. 

"This is what it was trying to tell us from the beginning," Robin said awed. "That its intentions were peaceful. But, because we couldn't translate their message accurately..." 

"Because we couldn't translate their message, the earth is in danger of annihilation," finished GL. He sighed, then turned to Kid Flash with admiration. "Good work, Kid Flash. Your uncle will be proud of you." 

Kid Flash beamed with pride. "Robbie and Wonder Girl are really the ones who did it. They figured out the first numerical sequence that I started working with. They started with the partial translation that Batman was able to decipher earlier...the one about the Krghlm..." 

"...However, Batman's earlier translation was too sketchy, with more unknowns than deciphered strings. Therefore, we used only the string that we *assumed* meant Krghlm..." interrupted Robin. 

"...After that, I ran thousands of variations at superspeed, until I got the right combination," finished Kid Flash. 

"So we've been able to translate the ship's initial message. Can we *talk* to it now? Can we establish contact?" GL asked. 

"I think so, sir," Robin replied. "But it'll take a while. This translation of something the *ship* sent took Flasheroo several minutes. The reverse...well, that will probably take a little longer." Robin looked helpless. "See, this isn't the complete message, just the opening greeting." 

Robin dropped his eyes as if he'd failed somehow. "The message we've translated doesn't use all of our alphabet. It just repeats the same symbols. Our next problem is sending a coherent message that makes use of all the alphanumeric symbols we have." 

"Wait," GL said, forestalling further efforts from the Titans. Concentrating on the communications console, GL aimed his ring's powerful beam on it. The console was instantly enveloped in a pulsating emerald glow. Immediately, Kid Flash's translation of the alien's message began to change. 

As if by magic (and Robin was inclined to believe that the ring could very well be such), the untranslated portion of the message began to change. Soon, the entire message could be read. 

Robin and Kid Flash stood with mouths gaping. "I don't understand, GL," Robin said. "If you could do that, why didn't you just do it from the start?" 

GL shook his head. "I couldn't translate it earlier, Robin. At least, not until I saw the message you Titans successfully broke. Just like you said about the earlier translation having too many unknowns. I couldn't see the pattern before, but, when I read yours, I was able to formulate a mental picture and translate the rest." He smiled. "The best part is that now we *can* communicate effectively..." 

**** 

Chapter Nineteen 

The ship's AI scrambled to find a way to destroy the intruders. The enemy dismantled one of its auxiliary power stations and managed to enter its Forward Command Center. Now the enemy was working to bypass the ship's Target Acquisition and Fire Control System. The AI needed to quickly and efficiently find a way to dispel the intruders from its midst, and to successfully eradicate their home world and all of the surrounding star systems before it was too late! 

**** 

Batman hurried through the endless corridors within the cavernous belly of the alien ship. He climbed ladders, ran across ceiling-high catwalks, and took bullet-fast elevators. He felt worried. Even though the Titans dismantled what appeared to be the warp core of the ship, it seemed too small to effectively power a ship of this breadth. 

No, a ship this size probably had secondary systems, Batman thought. If so, then there was a great danger that the ship was not disabled, because the power station that the kids destroyed was little more than one of the ship's numerous back-ups. 

The World's Greatest Detective studied the schematic that he'd taken from Kid Flash. He grinned again. He felt very proud of Robin. Somehow his junior partner managed to access the ship's computers at the programming level, bypassing the Artificial Intelligence. 

"Wish *I'd* thought of it," he muttered ruefully. 

Glancing around to get his bearings, Batman oriented the schematic and headed towards a corridor lying at an oblique angle to him. Picking up his speed, Batman was soon jogging at a ground-eating pace. 

Rounding a corner, he came to a full stop. The scale of what lay before him, caused even Batman to pause in wonderment: the ship's main power core! 

The Dark Knight could literally *feel* the awesome power of the massive ship, throbbing with the energy of a thousand suns. Inside the containment field, the ship's power core radiated outwardly in a blue-white swirling maelstrom. Batman donned a set of goggles to dampen the blinding, sunburst illumination. 

Batman looked up and followed the engineering marvel as it rose far as the eye could see, eventually becoming lost in the darkened, cavernous ceilings over head. Similarly, it dropped until it disappeared into the nethermost gloom. 

"I think I've found what I was looking for," Batman said unnecessarily... 

**** 

"Fall back to your secondary line of fire!" Atom's voice rang clearly through the open channel. "JLA! Fall back! We can't hold them here." 

As soon as she heard the order, Black Canary broke off her attack, fired off her aft engines, and began a shoot and scoot retreat. An enormous scout relentlessly pursued her. 

"Okay, ugly, I've just about had it with you," BC muttered. "Retreat? Like Hell!" Going into a 360-degree loop-de-loop, BC swung over and behind her pursuer, and opened fire. "Attack *my* home world willya? You've gotta get past *me* first!" 

The enemy scout burst into flames before her in a kaleidoscope of fire and molten metal. BC flew straight into the debris field, her ship's shields glowing from the intense heat around her. 

"Hah! Scratch one would-be world destroyer!" Black Canary went into an exuberant victory roll, and immediately piloted her ship back towards the primary line of defense. The place was overrun with skyscraper-sized enemy scouts. BC became suddenly embroiled in her one-woman battle against seemingly hundreds of the enemy. 

"Dinah! What are you *doing*?" Atom's worried voice sounded stressed. 

"Holding the barbarians at the gate," BC replied grimly. "What does it *look* like? I may not have heat vision, but I'm meeting all comers." 

"Dinah, are you *crazy*? You were ordered to fall back!" 

"Sorry, Tiny Tim," BC shot back. "Detective Drake's little girl doesn't know how to walk away from a fight. These invaders don't know who they're messing with!" 

"Ease up on the showboating, Canary!" Atom angrily responded. "You need to fall back to the secondary line. You're fighting solo over there! The cruisers' shields aren't indestructible and neither are *you*! We can't afford to lose anybody because of personal grandstanding!" 

"Personal grandstanding? Me? Listen, Mighty Mouse, you fight *your* way...I'll fight mine!" Black Canary was suddenly caught in a three-way trap. "Uh-oh, love to chat with you, Atom-Ant, but I gotta go." BC concentrated on evading the enemy's combined efforts. "Looks like somebody here doesn't like me," she muttered. 

As she dodged the increased firepower aimed against her, Black Canary felt a momentary twinge at a sudden and unbidden memory of Green Arrow and their unhappy good-byes. "You're an idiot, Ollie, but I love you. If I get out of this alive, I guess I'll have to tell you." 

Seemingly out of the blue her pursuers suddenly veered off their attack. All three turned as one and began firing on something else. BC brought her monitors to bear on the enemy's new target. As her screen focused on the newcomer, Black Canary's heart leaped: Superman! 

"That Lois Lane is one lucky gal," she said under her breath. 

"Why thank you, Black Canary," Superman's voice came over the open channel sounding slightly amused. 

Black Canary blushed pink inside her cockpit. "Hey, no fair listening in on a girl's private musings," she laughingly protested. Then seriously, she added, "Thanks for the save, Superman. Anytime you need a Canary cry, just give me a call!" 

"I'll do that," the Man of Steel replied seriously. "Oh, and Dinah?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I think that *Ollie* is the lucky one." 

The two heroes parted ways and returned to the job of protecting their home... 

**** 

"Let's see if we can convince this thing not to destroy our home," Green Lantern said. Robin and Kid Flash nodded in acquiescence. GL looked around, trying to find something to focus his attention on while he talked to the ship's intelligence, but all he saw were monitors, consoles and blinking lights. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he began to speak. 

"I am Green Lantern of Earth! I represent an organization comprised of men, women, and children who have currently banded together to defend our world against all enemies. We are known as the Justice League of America and the Teen Titans!" He paused to check for any reaction. There was none. GL continued determinedly. 

"An armada sent forth from this ship is currently attacking our home-world's star system. I am here to ask that you...*No*! I am here to *demand* that you cease this unprovoked attack!" 

GL's words were met with silence. Robin and Kid Flash stood to the side, watching as the Emerald Knight grew increasingly frustrated at the lack of response from their alien visitor. 

"I must warn you...if you do not stop this senseless and unwarranted attack on our home system, we will have no choice but to destroy you!" 

"YOU ARE THE KRGHLM...YOU MUST BE DESTROYED." 

The cold, inanimate voice startled Kid Flash out of a year's growth. "Shades of Hal Two Thousand!" he gulped. "The thing spoke!" 

Robin turned a sardonic look at his friend, _2001, A Space Odyssey_ was one of his least favorite movies. Robin rolled his eyes when he realized that Kid Flash seemed to be trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible by hiding behind the Boy Wonder. "No kidding, Flasheroo," he said, shaking his head. 

"We *are not* of the Krghlm!" Green Lantern denied. "We are of *Earth*, the third planet from the yellow star system that your armada of ships is currently attacking. Our race *evolved* independently on our planet...we were *not* colonized either by the Krghlm or by any of the old races." GL began walking around the Command Console. He was in *his* element now. 

"The Green Lantern Corps of OA knows of the Krghlm and of the swath of destruction that they visited upon countless of the early races. You have the technology to judge for yourself...You can *see* that our home system was not even formed yet when the Krghlm's star went nova, and they first began their relentless course of savagery and annihilation across the stars." 

"OA? WE KNOW OF OA AND THE GUARDIANS...THEY FAILED TO ASSIST US WHEN OUR PEOPLE PLEADED FOR HELP AGAINST THE KRGHLM. INSTEAD, THEY STOOD BACK AND WATCHED AS OUR HOME WORLD WAS DESTROYED BY THE KRGHLM'S PLANET-EATER. IF YOU ARE OF OA, YOU ARE ALLIED WITH THE KRGHLM." 

"*No*!" GL denied. "That's *not* true! The Guardians of OA couldn't assist you then, because they weren't strong enough. The Green Lantern Corps had not even been formed then. The Guardians were the last of their kind...a mere two dozen left of a mighty race that once roamed space as freely as you. But they were dying out. Each millennium brought the end of one more of their long-lived kind." GL's voice was pleading. 

"When they discovered the secret of the emerald battery, their lives changed. They gained a purpose. They were appalled by what the Krghlm wreaked, not just on *your* people, but on many others. They swore to do something to forestall any such horror from ever being visited on the newer, younger races that were being born...Like ours." 

Green Lantern stood with his arms out, asking for belief and understanding. "That's why *I'm* here. I am the Green Lantern of Earth, and all the inhabited star systems within my sector. There are more like me...we were brought together by the Guardians to serve and protect these diversified worlds...to keep the peace in our galaxy...with this!" 

GL held out his closed fist. The ring pulsated green with the mysterious energy of the Emerald Battery, tapped from the very Source that set off the Big Bang. The ring's power radiated with the energy of Creation itself. 

"I AM OF THE NUL^~HT+N...THE LAST OF OUR KIND. MY PRIMARY COMMAND IS TO DESTROY THE LAST OF THE KRGHLM. I MUST DESTROY THIS STAR SYSTEM AND ALL THE SYSTEMS CONTAINED WITH THIS SPIRAL ARM OF YOUR HOME GALAXY!" 

The ship's words were met with stunned silence. 

"I think that went over well, don't you?" Speedy asked sardonically. 

"Shut up, Quiver breath," Kid Flash hissed, annoyed. 

Uncharacteristically, Green Lantern cursed under his breath, a string of colorfully non-repeating and highly descriptive words that he'd picked up in hangars from dozens of airplane mechanics. Catching himself, GL turned a slightly abashed look at the youngsters who were staring at him in wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock. 

"Um, sorry, boys," GL said apologetically. "This thing's getting to me, I guess. It's being completely unreasonable, and I'm not sure how to handle it, short of destroying it. It obviously has intelligence, but we've no way of finding out if it's also sentient. This Primary Command it mentioned is undoubtedly some type of command-level program that gives it irrevocable standing orders to destroy the Krghlm. The ship's AI may be incapable of circumventing it." 

"Maybe not, GL," Speedy replied. "But I think we can still stop the attack." The others turned quickly towards the junior bowman. He gazed back at them with his signature smirk. 

"Oh, yeah, Arrowhead?" Kid Flash sneered. "And just how do you propose we do *that*?" 

"Glad you asked, Hayseed," Speedy replied nonchalantly, smiling broadly. "I found the firing codes." 

**** 

Batman worked swiftly and silently. The sheer size of the ship's primary warp core made his daunting task seem impossible. The traditional explosives wouldn't work here, he'd discovered almost immediately. The ship's power source was too well shielded. 

"Probably double and triple shielded," Batman muttered. No doubt to protect it from outside attack. It was the ship's most vulnerable point, and once breached, it would go into an irreversible chain reaction that would end in a pyrotechnic display rivaling that of a million thermonuclear explosions. Enough to destroy the Earth a thousand times over. 

Although, once was certainly more than enough, Batman thought ironically. 

Thankfully, the shielding that protected the power core from outside attack also protected anyone standing within its vicinity from being instantly fried. 

Furthermore, these energies being generated by the ship's engines appeared immeasurable. So far, none of Batman's instruments could even begin to gauge the radiation levels that the warp core was emitting. And somehow Batman had to cause the warp core itself to go into a self-destruct mode. 

Consulting his ship's schematic, Batman made his way to a vast console with countless gauges, monitors, knobs, and other unrecognizable objects. After a moment's search, he found something that looked familiar, an instrument that resembled a computer's input device. 

Walking over to that section of the console, Batman took a second to study the alien artifact. Deciding that there was nothing like taking the plunge, he reached out and lightly touched the instrument. Almost instantly, the console's many gauges and numerous instruments began pulsating with life. 

Batman raised an eyebrow. Reaching a decision, he activated his JLA communicator and placed a call. "Batman to Robin. Come in." 

There was moment's startled pause from the other end, but suddenly he heard his young protege's excitedly worried voice. "Batman! Batman, this is Robin! Come in! Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine, chum," Batman replied quietly, momentarily savoring the sound of his young ward's voice. "But I need your help." 

"Where are you, Batman?" Robin answered immediately. "I'll come right over." 

"No! There's no need for that," Batman quickly said. "Are you still in the forward Command Center?" 

"Yes, sir," Robin's eager voice responded. "But I'm not needed here, honest! Speedy and GL have the thing under control. GL's managed to communicate with the ship, and Speedy's decoded the ship's fire control protocols. They should have the armada standing down in another few minutes!" 

"That's good to hear, Robin," Batman said calmly. "But I need your skills up there at the Control Center." 

"Yes, sir," Robin sounded disappointed. 

"Robin," Batman began tentatively, "you've done a fine job so far. I'm very proud of you, son." 

"..." Robin's young voice came over a bit shakily. "Batman, about what I said earlier...I didn't *mean* it, sir! I'm really sorry--" 

"Hey, partner, none of that now," Batman said with quiet reassurance. "We'll have plenty of time for talk later. You were right, Robin. This job *is* too big for one man alone. You're here now, and I need you. Let's get to work." 

"Yes, sir," Robin said simply. "What do you need me to do?" 

Batman thought he detected the slightest trace of a sniffle being bravely suppressed. He allowed himself a small, proud grin. The boy had grit. 

"You downloaded the alien ship's schematic," Batman began. 

"Yes, sir." 

"Do you still have the handshake protocols that allowed you to do this?" 

"Sure. The _Avenger's_ shipboard computer still has it. In fact, we were just using it to develop a new-improved translator program. Let me check with Wonder Girl. Hold on a sec." 

Batman waited while Robin switched channels on his Titans communicator. A few moments passed, then Robin came back on. 

"Batman, WG's bringing the handshake program online now. Stand by." Robin's young voice was soon joined by Wonder Girl's. 

"Robbie, I have it!" Wonder Girl said crisply. 

"Great, WG...Batman, did you get that?" he asked. 

"Yes, I did. Titans, listen carefully. I'm going to need you to communicate with the ship on the programming level. I believe that if we do that, its Artificial Intelligence will be unaware of what we are doing," Batman explained. "I'm fairly certain that that is *why* you were able to download the schematics. Your ship's computer *spoke* directly to the alien vessel's computer. The ship's consciousness remained unaware of what was transpiring the entire time." 

"Whoa," Robin said in quiet awe. "*We* did *that*?" 

"You sure did, partner," Batman assured him. "Now here's what I want you to do..." 

**** 

"But if you do that, Speedy," GL protested, "the alien armada will still be able to fire on our people." 

"I know that, GL," Speedy replied, annoyed, "but it's the best I can do under the circumstances. I can't order the armada to go to Cold Fire. Not yet anyway. But I *can* reprogram the Firing protocols so that they return to the default setting, for want of a better word." 

"GL, why don't you do that nifty thing with your power ring that you did earlier and get us the protocols we need?" Kid Flash asked. 

"I can't, son," GL admitted regretfully. "My ring was able to decode the strings necessary to bridge the language barrier, almost the same way as Tarzan and Jane were able to communicate." At Kid Flash's blank look, he explained further. "You know, point at something, say what it is in *your* language, then wait for the other person to say it in his language. Once we were able to establish minimum communications, the rest was easy." GL shrugged. "Firing protocols are different. That's getting into computer speak...unlike the translator program that you Titans were able to piece together, the Target Acquisition Computer doesn't work with spoken language, only in code." 

"I'm sorry, GL," Speedy apologized. "But for now this is the best I can do." 

"Don't worry, GL," Kid Flash added reassuringly, "as soon as Speedy can figure out a few more Fire Command and Control protocols, he'll be able to order the armada to go Cold." Kid Flash smiled. "He's kind of a jerk, but he sure knows his stuff when it comes to weapons and things like that." He easily ducked under Speedy's half-hearted, playful punch. 

Not ready to take their word, GL turned away from the Titans and spoke into his JLA communicator. "Arrow, did you copy that?" 

"Got it, buddy," Green Arrow's confident voice came over the communicator. "And let me assure you, pal...if Speedy says that the best he can do right now is to go to the default firing program, then I doubt if there's anyone there who could do better. That kid knows more about weapons and targeting than anyone alive...except for me, of course. Heh." 

Speedy rolled his eyes at this last, but felt secretly pleased over his mentor's unsolicited compliment. 

"All right, Ollie," GL said, unhappily. "Got everything set on your end for emergency take-off?" 

"Waiting for the word, Fly-boy. The little Amazon Princess and I have everything under control. Oh, and tell the kids that their pal, Aqualad, is recovering nicely. He's already complaining about being in bed." 

"Roger, Arrow. Green Lantern out." GL sighed. He would've preferred that they order the armada to go Cold, but if the default was the best they could for now, so be it. "Do it, Speedy. Let's get this alien armada to start telegraphing its moves." 

"Yes, sir!" Speedy said, immediately turning to the Target Acquisition Computer and inputting the necessary commands that would revert the enemy armada to its original target practice pattern. After a few minutes, he looked up and smiled in triumph. "Order transmitted and received, GL! The armada should now be going into its little outer space ballet routine." 

**** 

"Superman!" Atom's desperate voice came over the open channel. "I've got five on my tail. Can you help?" 

"Sorry, Atom...got a few problems of my own!" Superman replied sharply. "JLA, Atom's in trouble...Everybody to him--stat!" Superman's usually quiet voice rang across the JLA open channel with a 'not to be ignored' command timbre. 

As Atom desperately dodged and rolled, his mind flashed to the previous hours' nonstop battle. The heavily outnumbered JLA bravely fought against the relentless invader, but the overwhelming odds were finally taking their toll. Earth's heroes were steadily and rapidly losing ground. They'd already fallen back to their tertiary positions. Soon they'd be forced to fall back to the final line of fire. 

If the alien armada broke through this final defensive line, then there would be nothing left between the invader and Earth. 

As he continued the unremitting battle for his life, somehow escaping one deathtrap after another, Atom recalled the brief, heartstopping moments he'd lived through less than an hour ago when the Flash lost his ship. Too busy to go to his best friend's aid, the Atom watched helplessly as the Flash took a brutal pounding... 

**** 

"Mayday!" the Flash's frantic voice rang across the open channel. "I've lost hull integrity...life support's gone...I'm rapidly losing atmosphere!" 

As Atom fought on, trying to get through the enemy in order to reach his friend, he waited impatiently for the Flash's voice to come back. Silence. Atom began flying in quick, reckless maneuvers. 

"Barry!" Atom called desperately. "Barry, come in! Flash, come in!" 

At last the Flash came back on the air. "I'm all right, buddy. Close call though. I managed to get into an exo-suit in time." He gave a small nervous laugh. "They don't call me the Fastest Man Alive for nuthin' ya know." 

"Hang on, pal, I'm coming for you!" Atom replied. In a wild frenzy, he fired off twin volleys of deadly plasma rays at two enemy scouts in quick succession, disabling one and destroying the other. 

"Um, I'd love to be able to do that, Ray, but I've got a slight problem. That last hit I took? Well, it was a pretty bad one." 

"How bad?" Atom felt a cold chill in the pit of his stomach. He quickly rolled right, firing as he moved. Another three of the enemy became stardust. 

"Got a warp core breach, buddy," Flash replied quietly. "It'll reach critical mass in about another forty-five seconds." 

"..." Atom swallowed. He was still surrounded by too many of the enemy. He knew that he wouldn't be able to save his friend. "Barry, I--" 

"--that's okay, Ray. Tell Iris I love her and that I was thinking of her...And Wally...tell 'im that--" His transmission was cut. 

"*Barry*!!!!" Atom screamed, his pain echoing across the emptiness of space. "Barry...no," he whispered. "You can't be dead..." 

**** 

He wasn't. The Atom remembered gratefully how his friend and teammate was saved at the last possible instant by a quick-acting Black Canary who transported the Scarlet Speedster onto her own slightly worse-for-wear ship... 

"Woo-hoo! Don't get your shorts in a twist, Atom-Ant!" Black Canary's exuberant voice shouted over the air. "I've got the Flash-man safely tucked away in my transporter stasis!" She laughed. "Can I keep him? Pretty pleeeease?" 

"Don't let *Iris* hear you say that," Atom warned, laughing. "She'll scratch your eyes out!" 

"Aw, you sure know how to spoil a girl's fun," BC replied good-naturedly. "And don't worry, Mighty Mite. We ladies all know that Barry Allen is the Most Married Man Alive!" 

Black Canary's warm, bubbly laughter could be heard even as she turned to the cold business at hand: training her deadly weapons upon the enemy that almost killed their friend... 

**** 

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and Aquaman were not sitting idly by on the sidelines. Indeed, the JLA's own two Royals were fighting a steady, consistent space battle, successfully targeting one enemy scout after another. The Amazon Princess's uncanny warrior instincts saved each of her JLA teammates several times during the course of the battle. She even managed to assist the Man of Steel on at least one occasion. 

Now, it was the Atom's turn to need help. "And I need it now," he muttered. The Mighty Mite could almost *feel* the enemy's particle beams as they just missed his ship on either side. 

Suddenly, the space around him appeared to be covered with JLA cruisers. Silent explosions that were too close for comfort mushroomed outwardly towards him. Wonder Woman's voice came on the air. 

"Cut right, Atom! Now!" Atom cut his cruiser to starboard. The space he'd just occupied instantly imploded in a subspace detonation. The very fabric of space around them seemed to fold in on itself, sucking in any debris in the immediate hot zone. 

"Eeee-Haaaa!" BC's Wild West yell came over clearly through the Atom's intercom. "Hey there, Tiny Tim! Never fear! 'Cause Black Canary is here!" 

BC's JLA cruiser buzzed the Atom's at near-light speed, dispersing the remaining enemy attack formation that was closing in on him. 

"Oh, terrific!" Atom shot back. "I'm saved. Now all I have to do is *survive* the rescue." He quickly turned 180 degrees and followed in BC's wake, engaging the momentarily disoriented enemy. "Thanks, Diana...Arthur!" Atom called. 

"You're welcome," Wonder Woman said with quiet dignity. As her cruiser pulled away, she waggled its wings at Atom in a silent salute. 

"You owe us big-time, Ray!" the Flash called. "Hey, Pretty Bird, you take your steak rare?" Atom saw BC's ship open fire on the enemy. The deadly volley was being shot off with an almost faster-than-the-human-eye could follow sequence of salvos. The Flash was acting gunner's mate, of course. 

"You betcha, Barry," BC said easily, answering his question. "By the way," BC added with open admiration, "that was great shooting, Fastest Man Alive." Then quipped, "But I think GA's a tad faster on the trigger." 

"Oh, you do, do you?" 

"Yep. Sure do." 

"Dinah, you are living proof that love is blind," Flash teased. 

"I'll say," the Atom chimed in. 

"Hey, no fair," BC protested, laughing. "That's two against one." She paused to take out a few of the enemy that suddenly converged upon their position. Atom watched admiringly as her cruiser executed a series of complicated movements that were capped with an impressive array of strobe-like rapid fire. After four of the enemy ships went down expeditiously, BC came back online. "Well, maybe it's more like 'one-and-a-quarter' against one." 

"Ouch!" Atom called back, pulverizing his own set of twin scouts. As he concentrated on the enemy around him, Atom suddenly heard BC's lively, but off- key singing over the JLA open channel. 

"Short people got no reason to live--" she began. Atom snorted, almost getting hit as a result for his temporary loss of focus. 

"I can't believe this!" he called. "I haven't heard that old ditty in years. You're aging yourself, Dinah!" 

"I heard it on an oldies station my Mom used to listen to," she shot back good- naturedly. After she went through the entire song twice, BC began singing her own original, never-heard-on-the-radio bawdy lyrics. 

Atom was soon laughing so hard, he quickly felt himself losing control. It took almost superhuman effort to evade the enemy's tireless pursuit. Just managing to pull his ship out of harm's way in time, he gasped helplessly in laughter. 

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" he guffawed. "You almost got me killed." To his chagrin his 'best buddy' the Flash took up the silly refrain. 

"Short people got itty bitty <*censored*>, and teeny weeny <*censored*>--" 

"All right! I give up!" Atom could feel the helpless tears of laughter streaming down his face. "You've got two rare steaks on me! Just stop it. Please...I surrender." 

His unrepententive teammates' voices rose even higher as they reached new lows of salaciousness. However, their momentary respite of levity proved short-lived and they soon found themselves back in an unending cycle of shoot, dive, dodge, and run. "BC, behind you!" Atom warned suddenly. He saw that she didn't have time to maneuver out of the way. He quickly spun his ship around, bringing his weapons to bear on the enemy! As he was about to press the firing button, he caught sight of something different. Something odd. Huh? 

"Flash...Canary, you see what I see?" he asked tentatively. 

"What's that, buddy?" Flash asked. 

"The armada...look at the ships. They're acting kinda weird. Almost like they're--" 

"Almost like their dancing!" Flash interrupted excitedly. "Ray! They did it! Batman and Green Arrow! They must've managed to--" 

"--They must've managed to return the armada to its original practice-firing pattern," Atom finished. "JLA! Our teammates came through for us. The armada's ships are telegraphing their moves. Let's go, team! We've got a planet to save!" 

**** 

Chapter Twenty 

The ship's AI 'felt' confused, caught in a logic loop. Its Primary Command program was explicit: Destroy the Krghlm! The inhabitants of the third planet did not provide the proper response codes when the ship initially tried to establish contact with them; therefore, the AI's primary programming deduced the third planet to be a Krghlm colony. 

The invaders currently on board claimed to be a *new* race, not one that had been colonized by the Krghlm. Impossible! If a race was not of the Nul^~ht+n, then it was Krghlm. 

This is how the ship's primary programming analyzed the current situation. How it had analyzed the situation in the past. How it would analyze the situation in the future. 

And this is why the ship left behind a vast trail of burned-out civilizations while on its infinite trek across the universe... 

**** 

Robin worked furiously on the equations as Batman recited them. With the translation program Robin and Wonder Girl successfully worked out, Batman somehow wrote an entirely new command-level primary program. In another few keystrokes, Robin would 'slave' the giant ship's computer to the _Avenger's_ computer. 

"How're you coming along, Robin?" Batman asked. 

"Just about done, sir," Robin replied distractedly. "Got a few more lines of code left." 

"Robin?" Batman began. "When we return home..." he paused. "Robin, when we return home we should..." 

"Hm-mm?" Robin was only half-listening, completely immersed by the task at hand. Even now the Boy Wonder continued to work as he spoke. "Sorry, Batman. Didn't catch what you said. When we return home we should...'what'?" 

"Robin, what I mean is that--" Batman's transmission began breaking up. His words became garbled. Robin strained to make out the words. "--different ...together...more often..." 

"Batman? Batman, you're coming in broken! Adjust your gain...see if that helps." 

No answer. 

"Batman?" Robin tried boosting his own communicator to maximum gain. Nothing. Not even static. 

Robin knew that loss of communications did not necessarily mean that Batman was in trouble. However, Batman was currently located near the ship's warp core, an area with incredibly high-energy output. Even if heavily shielded, some of the power core's radiation could be inadvertently leaking. Robin began to feel a twinge of uneasiness. 

"Robin to Batman. Come in, please. Batman--" 

At that moment, the ship's emergency klaxons went off. Robin didn't need a universal translator program to let him know what was happening: Hull breach! 

The giant ship was losing atmosphere! 

"Emergency!" Robin called. "Hull breach. We're losing atmosphere, Titans. We've gotta get this thing sealed--ASAP!" 

"I'm on it, Robin!" Green Lantern called out. His entire being was instantly covered in a protective emerald aura. As gracefully as if he'd been born to it, the Emerald Guardian lifted upwards and flew through the Forward Command Center's bulkheads. 

"Wonder Girl!" Robin called. 

"Here, Robbie," Wonder Girl's quietly efficient voice replied. "I'm attempting to run a diagnostics with the minimum communications we've already established between the _Avenger_ and the alien ship--" 

Green Arrow interrupted her. 

"Boy Wonder, I can tell you with some certainty that this is *not* a hull breach. The giant cargo-hold landing bay doors have been deliberately opened. The sudden depressurization almost sucked us out into space. Somehow we managed to keep the _Avenger_ in place while the rest of the cargo-hold's contents went flying out." 

"Yes, sir," Robin said politely. "May I speak with Wonder Girl, sir?" Robin didn't have the time to try to issue orders to the JLA's most vocal and least cooperative team member. At the moment, the Teen Caped Crusader wanted his commands executed quickly, without being second-guessed. 

There was a slight, surprised pause from the other end. 

"Yeah, kid, hold on a sec," GA said, sounding vaguely annoyed. Wonder Girl came back abruptly. 

"WG, run that diagnostics of the alien ship's systems as quickly as possible," Robin requested. "I'll do what I can from my end. And WG, be ready to yank us all out of here if necessary." 

"Gotcha!" 

"Batman! Batman, come in," Robin called. "Batman, this is Robin. Come in, please." 

No answer. 

Robin's insides grew cold. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Not allowing himself time to worry, Robin turned to completing the task of inputting the new command protocols. 

"Once these are in," he muttered, "Big Bertha here will dance to our tune." 

"Big Bertha?" Kid Flash said behind him, startling Robin out of several years' growth. "I thought you said that was a big cannon in the First World War?" He paused reflexively. "Funny, I never knew that there'd been more than one World War." 

"Flasheroo, if you don't stop sneaking up on people, I'm gonna put a bell on you!" 

"You have something for me, boss man?" Kid Flash asked, ignoring Robin's threat. "I may not have a power ring, but I *do* have a power that's not in use right now." 

"Before I send you anywhere, Flasheroo, I've gotta make sure we know what portions of the ship are safe to enter--" 

Abruptly, Robin felt himself floating, weightless. The gravity was gone! Unprepared for the sudden change to zero-g, Robin's awkward struggles hurled him away from the Command Console. 

"Oh, <*censored*>!" he muttered. It was a forbidden word that he'd heard GL use earlier. And if Alfred ever heard him say it, he'd probably wash out mouth his with soap, Robin thought guiltily. He struggled to regain his equilibrium in order to get back to the Command Console. 

Kid Flash, himself struggling under zero-g, looked over at Robin admiringly. "If my Aunt Iris ever heard me say *that*, she'd wash my mouth out with soap--" His super-fast reflexes saved him from slamming into the bulkhead. "Whew. Close call." Then continuing where he'd left off, added, "--I don't care how fast I become. Believe me, my aunt's *way* faster!" 

Robin smiled sheepishly at the junior speedster's words. He'd finally gotten his momentum under control and managed to right himself. "I guess being a teen super-hero doesn't carry a whole lotta weight in *your* house, either, huh?" 

Robin casually pushed off the bulkhead, bounced off an opposite wall like a billiard ball, and headed straight for the Command Console. 

Kid Flash responded with a broad smile. "Yeah, grownups sure are funny. Uncle Barry trusts me to bring down the bad guys and a bunch of other stuff, but when we get home, he still treats me like a regular kid." 

"Yeah, know what you mean, Flasheroo. Do this...don't do that." Robin sighed. Then smiling impishly, repeated another word that he'd heard GL utter. Kid Flash's eyes widened in shock. Then, mirroring Robin's grin, he joined the game, he voicing a word that made Robin blush. 

Over on the side, Speedy amusedly listened to his teammates' forbidden fun, not a little bit enviously. What must it be like to have adults who punished you for using dirty words? He shook his head impatiently. "Aw, cut the whining, Harper," he declared in a low undertone. "Ollie's Ollie and he'll never change. No matter how many promises he makes." 

He listened as Robin and Kid Flash giggled like small boys who knew they were doing something extremely naughty. Unable to tolerate the unbidden feelings of estrangement that were threatening to consume him once more, Speedy suddenly called out to Robin. 

"Hey, Bird-boy! What the heck's goin' on? What d'you do? Cross-wire something?" 

"This isn't anything *we've* done, Arrow," Robin replied. He'd grabbed a nearby handhold and started typing in the final lines of code with only one hand. "No, whatever's causing this...it's not *us*!" 

"Then, who?" Speedy asked. He was struggling with weightlessness again; however, the lessons from their previous experience in zero-g taught him to move slowly and deliberately in order to avoid being slammed against the bulkheads. 

"The *ship*!" Robin replied succinctly. "What else? We know it's intelligent and programmed for defense. It probably decided it's had enough of us." 

"Well, then...we've gotta *do* something!" Speedy called out lamely. 

"Yeah? No kidding," Robin said sardonically. "That's what I'm trying to do...Something!" Robin turned to the junior speedster. "Kid Flash! Get on the horn and call WG. See if she's found out which areas of the ship have lost life support. Also..." Robin paused, then finished hurriedly, "...ask her if she can detect life signs near the ship's warp core area." 

"Life signs?" Kid Flash asked. "You don't mean--?" Kid Flash noted Robin's determinedly stoic features. Gone was the playfulness of just moments before. Batman, Kid Flash immediately surmised. Only Batman's safety could possibly make Robin look like this, like a scared thirteen-year-old boy. "I'm on it, Robbie." 

As Kid Flash turned to make the call, the hatch leading to the Forward Command Center abruptly slammed shut and automatically sealed itself. Following instantaneously on its heels, the temperature in the room dropped to below freezing. And, as if to drive a nail into their coffin, the Titans next heard the unmistakable hiss of air escaping. 

"Uh-oh," Robin whispered. 

Then, all hell broke loose! 

**** 

As he flew in the vacuum of space, Green Lantern left a beautiful emerald trail behind him. He never tired of the freedom, the silence, the peace. Space...he'd dreamed of being an astronaut as a kid, but when he volunteered for the astronaut program, he didn't make the final cut. Politics, sprinkled with a little bit of nepotism, kept him from his dream. The bitter memory still hurt deeply... 

**** 

"I'm sorry, Captain Jordan, but the selection committee decided to cut you." 

Hal felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Cut? From the Space Program? Impossible! 

"May I at least ask why, sir? Yesterday, you practically said that I was a cinch to make it." 

"I'm sorry you got that impression, Captain," Gen. Douglas said dismissively, "but Space Command doesn't play favorites. You know that." 

"Do I, sir?" Hal asked bitterly. He held the general's eyes in an intense glare. "*Who* made the final cut, General? Tell me *that*, sir!" 

"Captain, you're very close to insubordination," Douglas warned. 

"Okay, then, *I'll* tell *you*, sir," Hal replied, ignoring the general's warning. "Isn't it coincidental that a certain Senator Davis, who sits on the Space Command Appropriations Committee, just happens to have a son, Lieutenant Tom Davis, who also happens to be an astronaut candidate? A son, who happens to be *my* junior with less flying experience. And whom I've also happened to 'kill' during the last five air combat simulations. General, I can fly rings around Davis--*and* the rest of the candidates!" 

Hal proudly stood to his full height, still holding the general's eyes. "General, I'm the best man qualified for the job, and you know it!" He paused, then added, "Sir." 

Douglas didn't say anything. Hal continued to glare at the general, his personal disappointment and bitterness almost getting the best of him. Eventually, both men looked away in shame and self-disgust. 

"I'm sorry, Captain Jordan," Douglas said, truly sincere this time. "But Lieutenant Davis *was* selected over you. I tried to stop it. Told the powers that be that it was wrong, that you deserved the slot. That you were the best man for the job. I was overruled." 

Hal listened to Douglas' quiet recitation, his stomach twisted in knots. All he could see were his hopes and dreams being shot down. Next year, he'd be too old to apply for the astronaut program. 

"I'll fight you, sir," Hal vowed, fiercely. "I won't go down without a fight." 

"No, you won't fight this, Captain," General Douglas replied with quiet certainty. "I wish you would, but you're too nice a guy, too much the professional to complain." Douglas paused. "Which is exactly *why* you're the one who's being cut and not one of the others." 

General Douglas looked angry and guilty at the same time. "Don't you get it, Captain? Space Command anticipated that you'd never raise a fuss and deliberately embarrass the Space Program." Douglas stood up, and turning his back to Hal, effectively dismissed him... 

**** 

GL glided silently in the vast blackness that was the outer reaches of the galaxy. He flew a careful zig-zag pattern around the planetoid-sized alien vessel, a pattern designed to reconnoiter the maximum amount of area in the least amount of time. Soon, GL discovered what he assumed was the 'hull breach.' 

The vast outer doors of the ship's gigantic cargo hold were wide open, looking like gaping maws. These openings included what GL assumed were the larger than life launch bay doors from which the ship's armada of scouts had been sent forth. 

As GL inspected the titanic apertures, he began to feel a certain dreaded sense of misgiving. He shook his head at his conclusion, then nodded slowly. 

The ship's multiple bay doors had been deliberately opened. GL felt his insides go cold. The ship was fighting back. If so, then GL's original assessment that it was possibly sentient was correct. And if he and the others were indeed fighting an intelligence capable of semi-independent thought, then their current predicament was even more hazardous than they'd previously believed. 

**** 

"Robin! Robin, come in!" 

No answer. 

Batman grimaced at the useless communicator. Taking out a palm-sized device, he quickly ran a spectro-analysis of the warp core chamber. The reading was off the scale into the Red Zone. 

"Hmmmmm. Not good." Batman studied his instruments with narrowed eyes. In a rare show of frustration, he gave the sensitive device a good shake and banged it across his palm for added measure. 

Still bad. 

"The question is--is the instrument functioning properly? Or is it being affected by a possible radiation leak? Something is certainly causing the communicator to be on the fritz." 

Batman looked up at the raging storm of violent blue/white energies that comprised the ship's massive warp core. 

"And if the electronics are being detrimentally affected," he mused, "then logic supposes that it isn't doing *me* any good, either." He raised a sardonic eyebrow. Good thing his costume was comprised of triple-weave Nomex/Kevlar fiber. It could withstand high-radiation levels, but the protection was limited. 

Time to exit. 

Fast. 

As he ran to the nearest hatch, Batman mentally reviewed the information he'd given Robin. The Boy Wonder now had most of the equations necessary to reprogram the alien ship's computer; however, Robin was still missing one- eighth of the equations. Batman decided to head directly to the Forward Command Center. 

As he neared the open hatch, it suddenly slammed shut. "What the--?" Before he could finish the statement, a slight movement towards the farthest edge of his peripheral vision caught his attention. Spinning round, Batman quickly assumed a defensive stance. At the same instant, he heard the hatch's automatic seal fall in place behind him. 

He was trapped inside the warp core chamber! 

At this moment, Batman was startled by several knee-high mechanical droids advancing towards him. Not skipping a beat, Batman acquired and readied a Batarang, then waited tensely for the alien robots' first move. He didn't wait long. 

Small robotic arms extended from the main body of each of the droids. At the end of each mechanical arm a deadly weapon appeared and opened fire. 

Batman instantly hit the deck, rolling to safety. He had several near-misses. As he scrambled to safety, his JLA patch fell off his left arm. The robots immediately began to fire at the spot where the patch fell on the floor, instantly destroying it. 

Batman quickly pulled out a handful of pellets and threw them on the deck immediately in front of the advancing robots. The pellets rolled for a few seconds, then when the robots were a few inches away, the pellets exploded in a blinding-white magnesium flash-bang. 

This was soon followed by an opaque smoke under whose cover Batman searched for a means of escape. Feeling his way along the bulkheads, Batman found an air vent. On a ship this size, the air system had to be exceptionally massive to keep the atmosphere up to life-support levels. 

Hastily applying a small dab of Plastique, Batman inserted a short fuse, lit it and stood back. It burned in a blink, melting the locking mechanism. As he was about to enter the ship's air-conditioning vent, the defense droids again advanced on the Dark Knight. 

Remembering how the droids targeted his JLA patch when it fell off his sleeve earlier, Batman took out a second and third auto-recall transporter patch, activated them, and tossed them in opposite directions. The robots instantly turned and followed after them, firing as they went. 

Grinning grimly, Batman took advantage of the droids' distraction and faded into the ship's interior... 

**** 

Green Lantern cautiously approached the open cargo bay. He scanned the immediate area for any booby traps. 'Hanging' in space, GL concentrated his powerful will on the ship's hull, running a careful analysis of its sub-atomic make-up. He grinned. 

"Where's the Atom when you need him?" he asked. 

GL shook his head. The material was completely alien to him *and* to the Power Ring. It was made of an alloy his ring couldn't analyze. Plus it had yellow bands running through it, which basically nullified the ring's efforts. 

As GL inspected the outer hull of the ship, he reflected on the irony of the situation. The ship's creators no doubt fought an eons-long war with their enemy, the Krghlm. They'd probably been the final line of defense for many of the old races, fighting and dying in an infinite number of alien Alamos, until at last the day came when there was indeed but one of their kind left. 

In a last-ditch effort to continue the fight once their race died out, the last of the ship's builders in a final act of heroic effort programmed the giant vessel to seek out the last remnants of the enemy and destroy them. 

Unfortunately, as the ship's intelligence evolved into quasi-sentience, its irrevocable Primary Command kept it from achieving true Free Will. Because of this, the massive Machine/Being was still more Machine than Being. And twice as dangerous, for its decisions were based on cold logic controlled by its programming, rather than tempered by compassion. 

Considering the options open to him, GL's mind traveled back in time to his first contact with an extra-terrestrial, an encounter that literally changed his life... 

**** 

The fateful day when he almost collided with what could only be called a UFO, Hal's life took an unexpected twist. The strange, badly disabled craft headed straight towards his jet, and Hal barely swerved in time; however, the prototype jet was unable to withstand the added g-forces that Hal's seat-of- the-pants maneuver placed on it. As a result, both his plane and the strange craft went down. 

Hal managed to parachute to safety, landing a few meters from the crash site. Realizing that whoever or whatever was in the UFO could be seriously injured, Hal rushed to the craft to render aid. 

Not bothering with his own safety, Hal quickly forced his way into the disabled ship. Fire and the acrid smell of smoke greeted him immediately. He had to find the pilot and any crew members, Hal thought desperately. 

At that moment, something or someone 'spoke' to him. 

"Where *are* you?" Hal called out, recklessly going through the ship. "I can't see you because of the smoke. Talk to me. I'll follow the sound of your voice." 

"Thank you, Hal Jordan. You are indeed worthy." To Hal's astonishment, the 'voice' spoke clearly in his head, and somehow knew his name. "Follow the emerald trail, Hal Jordan. There is little time left." 

"Okay, Toto, we're not in Coast City anymore," Hal muttered, nonplussed. 

Hal immediately saw a faint, glowing green trail, leading toward the ship's forward section. Feeling a momentary twinge of apprehension, Hal swallowed and quickly followed the trail to its source. 

What Hal beheld still filled him with awe to this day: For lying there in the pilot's seat was a hairless being with red skin dressed in an amazing green and white uniform. On his chest was the depiction of what looked like an old- fashioned lantern. 

"I do not have much time, Hal Jordan," the strange being gasped. "I am Abin Sur. I am the Green Lantern of this sector of space, Sector 2814. The power ring has selected you as my successor. It is only due to providence...or perhaps to the Power Source itself...that we meet thus. I am to expire shortly. Before I go, I must complete my last mission...to turn the power ring over to you." 

As the strange alien who called himself Abin Sur spoke in weak gasps, he removed a glowing ring from his right index finger. "Here," he whispered. "You must put this on." 

Hal reached tentatively for the ring. He held it between his thumb and forefinger, mesmerized by its ethereal beauty. He turned it slowly, awed by its soft, green glow and hesitantly placed it on his own index finger. 

"Repeat after me, Hal Jordan..." Abin Sur whispered in short, painful gasps. 

"Please, you mustn't talk," Hal interrupted, suddenly remembering where they were. "I've got to get you of here. This thing's gonna blow!" 

Abin Sur reached his hand out to Hal in a staying manner. "It matters not, for I return to the Creator. My time is almost up. Please, listen. You are now the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. The Guardians of Oa will explain everything. Concentrate on the ring, Hal Jordan." 

"I don't understand," Hal said helplessly. "Please, let me get you out of here!" 

"Hal Jordan!" Abin Sur's voice cut in sharply. "I do not have much time left...Concentrate on the emerald ring. Now!" 

Hal nodded reluctantly and concentrated. As he did so, a thousand-thousand images flooded his mind. Images that he couldn't separate at the moment. Suddenly, an old-fashioned glowing green lantern much like the emblem on the strange pilot's chest appeared as if magic and hung in the air before him. 

Abin Sur nodded. "You will understand soon enough, Hal Jordan. Until then, place your ring hand inside the lantern and repeat after me..." 

Abin Sur's weak voice gained volume and grew in timbre as he led his successor, the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814 through the solemn oath: 

"In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!" 

Instantly, Hal was bathed in an emerald glow from the ring on his right index finger. As the glow completely engulfed him, Hal saw to his astonishment that his flight suit was now replaced with a green and white uniform identical to that of Abin Sur's. 

"Congratulations, Hal Jordan of Earth," Abin Sur whispered. "Wear the ring with pride...you are a good man...I know because the ring selected you. I know that you will be an asset to the Green Lantern Corps." Abin Sur quietly died. 

"Green Lantern Corps? Abin Sur! You can't leave now...there's so much I need to ask you!" The new Green Lantern saw that his predecessor was gone. "Rest in peace, Abin Sur." At that moment, Hal noticed that there was a dangerous rumbling coming from the alien ship's engines. 

"I've gotta get outta here!" he said. Instantly, Hal found himself entirely cocooned in a soft greenish halo, and to his astonishment, he suddenly rose up in defiance of gravity and *through* the ship's bulkhead. 

He quickly rose several meters above the alien ship...and above the Earth, he amended ruefully...and watched as the ship went up in a fiery explosion. 

"Farewell, my friend," he murmured. "I don't entirely know yet what legacy you've entrusted me with, but you have my word, that I shall do my best to live up to that trust." Hal looked down at the ring, and grinned slightly when it seemed that it was pulsating in silent approval of the new Green Lantern's words... 

**** 

The Titans found themselves surrounded by Pandemonium! Anything not nailed down became a missile aimed at them. Kid Flash with his super-fast reflexes managed to duck out from under most of the deadly objects. However, when he tried whipping up a whirlwind in order to send the items flying back, he only succeeded in hurling himself backwards. 

"Flasheroo, ixnay on the speed tricks!" Robin hurriedly warned, somersaulting out of the way of yet another oncoming object. "Remember Newton's Laws. For every action--" He pushed away and ricocheted off of two bulkheads. "--there's an equal and opposite--" He caught one of the deadly missiles, spun round, and threw it at another projectile, which was heading towards Kid Flash, deflecting it. "--reaction!" 

The momentum from Robin's throw caused him to be flung in the opposite direction. Kid Flash waved his thanks, while nodding his understanding. 

"What's *happening*?" Speedy yelled. He was unceremoniously slammed with stunning force against the deck. A sudden, razor-sharp pain shot up his arm. "Uhhhnnn!" 

"Arrow!" Robin called, alarmed. 

At this moment, hidden portals lining the bulkheads began sliding open. Blinking red lights greeted the Titans as the portals' interiors became fully exposed. Robin's eyes widened. 

"*Incoming*!" he screamed. Robin quickly dodged a sizzling red-hot beam and looped up and around a crossfire of deadly beams. He hastily took out a palm- sized mirror from his utility belt. Flipping in midair, he held out the mirror and immediately bounced one of the crimson rays at an open portal. The interior of the portal instantly melted in a dazzling display of sparks and smoke. 

Grinning triumphantly, the Boy Wonder next angled the beam towards another portal, then another. Each time he aimed the enemy ray at a weapons portal, Robin met with equal success. Movement across the room caught Robin's eye: Speedy--struggling to avoid getting hit! Robin instantly turned towards his fallen teammate who was tenderly nursing his arm. 

"Flasheroo! Can you knock out the ray guns?" Robin asked. 

"I can try, Boss man," Kid Flash cheerfully replied and proceeded to move quickly, but not at superspeed around the Command Center. Superspeed in null gravity was only working against him. (What did Robin call it, he asked himself? Fig Newton's Law?) However, Kid Flash still had some of the fastest reflexes around and that certainly counted for *something*! 

As he 'flew' across the dangerous open space of the Forward Command Center, Robin was targeted once again by the ship's deadly defensive array. Expertly dodging the multitude of scorching beams, Robin caught the distinctive smell of burning ozone around him from the many near misses. At last, reaching his injured friend, Robin quickly grabbed Speedy and pulled him safely to cover. 

"Hurt much?" Robin asked, carefully checking Speedy's arm. 

"Nah," Speedy replied, his pain-filled eyes belying his attempt at a nonchalant tone. He winced involuntarily as Robin gently ran his hands along his injured arm. 

"Sorry," Robin apologized. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, not broken. But it's badly sprained. It's gonna hurt like heck for a few days." The next instant, Robin was struck with a powerful blow to the temple. Everything went black... 

**** 

As he flew in the still silence of space, Green Lantern smiled. Who said nice guys had to finish last? 

GL didn't consider himself much of a philosopher, but he *did* believe that things happened for a reason. Hal Jordan washed out of the Space Program because Fate had other plans for him. Whatever else happened, whatever the future might hold, GL felt fulfilled. Hal Jordan's life now held purpose. 

As a Green Lantern he'd had the privilege of meeting more new races and working with a greater diversity of extraterrestrial life forms that rivaled even Superman's travels. GL hated the idea of being forced to destroy the last remnants of a long-dead race. Such an extreme measure would result in the irreplaceable loss of the long-forgotten knowledge of the ship's creators: their culture, language, art, science. 

Unfortunately, the ship's builders had no doubt lived in such fear and hatred of the Krghlm that their final act was to program the ship to continue their mission of total eradication of their enemy. 

"God knows how many other races were unable to respond to its initial greeting and thus met their end because of it." 

How many more races would be annihilated by the ship because they couldn't answer its initial signal? 

No! If the JLA couldn't reason with the ship's artificial intelligence, then they'd have to destroy it. The ship was impressive in its vastness, but it was a machine. It was built to serve a sentient life-form, not to pass judgement on other races' right to exist. 

"The last of the Krghlm probably died out a millennium ago," GL mused. "This thing's been traveling for eons, destroying the very races it was programmed to protect. All because the newer races never heard of the long-dead Krghlm, the Nul^~ht+n, or their infinite war." 

GL flew in close to the ship's hull, attempting a visual inspection of its outer shell. As he approached, unknown to him, several alien tracking devices followed his flight path. When GL was well within range, multiple high-energy weapons suddenly open fired. 

"Son of a--!" GL rapidly swerved, avoiding a direct hit, but catching a glancing blow. The force of the particle beam physically threw him several hundred meters into space. Caught off guard, GL tumbled out of control. 

"Whoa!" he whispered, once recovered and safely out of range. "Baby packs a wallop." He took a couple of minutes to catch his breath, then with renewed determination, GL flew a straight line back to the ship. 

On the return trip, the Emerald Guardian intensified his protective aura, instinctively willing it to take on the form of an enormously sized knight's shield. The ship's deadly beams immediately began pounding the shield, and GL felt himself slowly retreating under their relentless onslaught. 

Applying his powerful resolve with grim tenacity, GL *willed* the ring's ethereal Power Source to boost his ring's already fully charged capacity to even higher levels. GL felt himself pulling forth energies at intensities that were heretofore barred from him. GL wasn't certain, but he thought that he could almost feel a sense of amazement, even awe, from the Power Source. 

As he neared the first point of attack, GL sent out his own walloping punch. 

"This is for *Earth*!" GL struck at one of the enormous gun emplacements that was currently firing on him with a closed fist the size of an aircraft carrier. 

"*This* is for my friends and family!" He knocked out another weapon with a green artillery piece the size of Mount Rushmore. GL grinned humorlessly as his 'cannon' fired a 'shell' in a dazzling show of counter-battery fire. 

"And *this* is for *me*!" GL reached out with gigantic Paul Bunyon hands, ripped out a third particle weapon, and wielded it like a club, knocking out several more of the ship's implements of war. As he did so, he noticed with grim satisfaction that the rest of gun emplacements slowly and steadily began retreating into their storage silos. 

One by one, for what seemed an infinite line as far the eye could see, GL noted massive weapons slowly returning to their bunkers. 

"Now that's more like it," GL said, addressing the ship. "Maybe you're even ready to listen to a little reason." GL hung in space, feet spread shoulder width apart, hands on hips. "What say you'n me have nice chat? Like two civilized beings?" 

He never saw it coming... 

**** 

End of Part 4 

48 


	5. JLA/Titans: Invasion! (Part 5)

Summary: The long-awaited conclusion! Aqualad's nascent esper powers become a critical factor in the final confrontation! 

Acknowledgement: As always, much thanks to Terri and Dannell for their patience and assistance; their critical input was priceless in the final development of my story. Plus, a special thanks Star Trek for its "help" in my conclusion.:):) 

Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome! 

Copyright 1999 

JLA/Titans: Invasion! by Syl Francis 

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." (Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice") 

**** 

Chapter Twenty-One 

The ship's artificial intelligence 'felt' a moment of satisfaction. The alien invaders were being successfully repelled from all areas of the ship. The strange being who could wield the very power of creation had been neutralized. The disruptive activities of the smaller biological life forms who'd infested its Forward Command Center and dared tamper with its Command Programs were being nullified. But... 

There was a wraith-like life form that somehow seemed to *disappear* from the ship's sensors. Logic dictated that this unknown menace bespoke of future problems. 

Perhaps these beings were not of the Krghlm after all. Perhaps they were of a race that was even more dangerous... 

**** 

"Robbie! Robbie, come in! Speedy! Kid Flash!" Wonder Girl looked close to tears. "It's no use. They're not answering. We've *got* to transport them out of there--*now*!" 

"Keep your tiara on, young lady," Green Arrow said gruffly. "We'll get them out. You just find 'em and lock on to 'em...I'll do the rest!" With that, the Emerald Archer hurriedly made his way aft towards the _Avenger's_ transporter chamber. 

Blinking rapidly, Wonder Girl nodded curtly. She was determined not to humiliate herself in front of a member of the JLA. Robin had ordered her to keep her chin up and take charge if anything happened to him. 

"Well, it looks like *I'm* the one in charge now," she whispered. Her chin quavered slightly. "Get a grip, girl," Wonder Girl said harshly. "Who's the Amazon warrior here?" Feeling properly chastised, WG turned back to her search. 

The Titans were each equipped with a wrist communicator, which the transporter should be able to lock onto. Each communicator gave off a unique signal with which one could identify the wearer. All Wonder Girl needed to do was find the signatures. 

Earlier she'd found her friends and locked on to them, but now their signals were being blanked out. Hurriedly running a diagnostic, Wonder Girl searched for any signs of biological life-forms on board the ship... 

**** 

"How's Robin?" Kid Flash asked. Two pairs of deeply troubled green eyes locked above the unconscious Boy Wonder. "He's been out for almost twenty minutes now." 

Speedy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 

"Not good, Twinkletoes," he said helplessly. "His breathing's rapid and shallow, and his pulse seems awfully weak." 

Speedy worriedly studied his friend and rival. Robin hadn't stirred since he'd been struck on the head. Despite his injured arm, Speedy managed to drag the Titans' unconscious leader to relative safety. He'd wrapped the Boy Wonder in his own cape to offset the dangerously frigid temperatures in the room. 

He also tore off a piece of cloth from his own shirt and quickly wrapped Robin's bleeding forehead with the makeshift bandage. Due to the lack of gravity, the Teen Caped Crusader's blood eerily formed into small droplets and steadily broke away, floating around the room. Speedy swallowed in distaste. 

The cold was steadily growing more and more intolerable. Speedy could actually see his breath now, and he'd lost almost all feeling in his hands and feet. He noticed that ice crystals were forming around Robin's mouth and nose and considerately wiped them off. 

Speedy felt exhausted, like he hadn't slept in over a week. He had a pounding headache and seemed unable to catch his breath. He looked around the chamber. Signs of their earlier struggles were visible everywhere. 

As he struggled valiantly to keep from dropping off to sleep, recollections of their battle assailed him. 

**** 

//ERROR...SEARCH PARAMETER INVALID. RETRY? CANCEL?// 

WG sighed. She'd been searching for almost twenty minutes now. The last contact she'd had with her teammates indicated their condition was *Yellow*, not serious enough to warrant an immediate rescue, but sufficient enough that she should've kept a closer eye on them. 

She felt tears beginning to sting the backs of her eyes again. 

"I've failed them," Wonder Girl whispered. 

"Somehow I doubt your teammates would agree with you, young lady." GA stood, arms crossed in the open hatchway. "Those boys set a lot of store by you, little Princess. More importantly, they respect you and know that you'll always do your best by them." 

Wonder Girl felt the tears spill. "But I can't find them...Robbie trusted me to come through for them and I've lost them. I've tried everything, GA...I-I've failed them." 

"Perhaps I may be of some help?" Both GA and WG turned towards the sound of the new voice... 

**** 

Speedy's sleep was disturbed by the echoes of a battle lost, the frightening silence of a fallen teammate, and the relentless hammering of his own heart! They weren't going to make it! Robin was down and Speedy didn't feel up to the challenge of leading. He'd failed yet again... 

"Twinkletoes! Robin's down!" Speedy called. He'd managed to pull his unconscious leader to cover. "How're you doing with the weapons?" 

"All done," Kid Flash said. He was suddenly crouched next to Speedy. 

Speedy felt his heart jump. He rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh. Before Speedy could comment, however, Kid Flash apologized. 

"I'm sorry it took me so long, Quiver-breath. But we're losing oxygen, and I'm losing most of my energy because of it." 

Speedy listened from where he'd been crouching behind the Command Console. The Forward Command Center was strangely quiet. He quickly surveyed the room and immediately spotted the smoking remains of the now-disabled recessed weapons. He also noted that the flying projectiles had finally ceased their merciless attack. Relief washed over him. 

"We've gotta get out of here, Twinkletoes," he said. "Pretty soon the cold's gonna become unbearable. And Bird-boy needs medical attention." Speedy pulled out three explosive-tipped arrows from his quiver. Gingerly testing his injured arm, he winced at the searing pain. 

"Hey, Arrow-head," Kid Flash protested. "You shouldn't mess with that arm. You could injure it further. Look, I'll try to vibrate through the hatch and take out the internal locking mechanisms." 

Speedy reluctantly nodded in agreement. 

Kid Flash launched himself towards the hatch. At any other time, he might've been having fun in zero-g. As things stood, their situation was too serious for joking around. The others were depending on him. 

Stopping in front of the hatch, Kid Flash concentrated on its 'feel'. Believing he understood the vibration pattern of the heavy door, Kid Flash quickly began to vibrate up to its matching speed. Once the junior speedster could see that he'd reached the harmonic speed with the locked hatch, he attempted to walk through it. 

An invisible energy shield instantaneously repelled Kid Flash. The Fastest Boy Alive was suddenly thrown clear across the Forward Command Center and slammed-- hard--against the opposite bulkhead. Because he was still protected by his personal aura, Kid Flash escaped serious injury. 

"I think that went well," Kid Flash muttered. Speedy snorted. 

"Yeah, Twinkletoes. Real well. If it'd gone any better, you'd be somebody's pancake breakfast splattered all along that wall." Speedy stood slowly and awkwardly readied an explosive-tipped arrow, the combination of the room's unbearable cold and his injury slowing down his movements. Closing his eyes against the white-hot pain shooting up his arm, Speedy called on the teachings of his Navaho foster father, and willed his arm to draw back the bowstring. Taking careful aim, Speedy let fly! The door's energy field held firmly. 

Speedy sighed, a familiar feeling of failure overwhelming him. It seemed that they weren't going anywhere... 

**** 

Batman moved cautiously through the miles-long labyrinthine air ducts. As he advanced through the ship's interior, he noticed moments of weightlessness and areas where he had trouble breathing. He had to backtrack on several occasions when his handheld instruments warned him of an airless vacuum up ahead. 

Batman didn't understand how the ship's builders did it, but apparently it was possible for parts of the ship to function easily while adjacent to areas with no atmosphere. Batman assumed that there was some type of force field involved, but his instruments couldn't detect it. He decided to avoid the areas entirely. 

Unbidden memories of his young ward kept invading his thoughts as he proceeded... 

He recalled their first Christmas together when Dick, upset that a group of orphans who'd been displaced by a fire wouldn't be having a happy Christmas, took his own presents to the temporary shelter where the children had been moved to. 

He recalled the look of happiness on Dick's face when another boy opened the gift that Bruce had spent so much time searching for: a miniature carousel comprised of prancing horses, lions, tigers, and elephants. As the miniature circus parade went round and round, the carousel played an appropriate circus march. 

He recalled the drive home with Alfred and Dick singing Christmas carols in slightly off-key harmony. He recalled Dick falling asleep across his lap finally, never letting go of his hand. Most of all, he recalled Dick's quiet, "Thanks for the carousel, Bruce," and his warm smile of happiness... 

A half-smile formed on Batman's lips as the memories played themselves out in his mind. Abruptly, the smile left him. He had a job to do and no time to indulge in personal reminisces. 

Calling his self-discipline to the fore, Batman tamped all extraneous thoughts of his personal life, and stored them in a safe place. When he had the time, he'd "retrieve" them, but for now, he had to concentrate on the mission at hand. 

As he turned a corner in the air ducts, Batman felt the air around him sizzle, becoming super-heated as particle beams whizzed by in several near misses. The droids had found him! He was being targeted! Diving out of harm's way, Batman threw a handful of concussion pellets in the direction that the droids were advancing from. 

Not waiting for the resounding explosion that shortly followed, Batman quickly grabbed his cape and wrapping over his head, he used it as protection as he launched himself at a closed grate. The impetus behind his momentum was enough to force the grate open. 

When he hit the floor, Batman tucked and rolled, gaining his feet in an instant. Quickly inspecting the chamber he'd entered, he noted that he'd somehow managed to escape into what look like an armory. 

"Fortune favors the foolish," he said ironically. 

A further cursory inspection revealed what could only be a cache of shoulder- fired weapons. While Batman was morally opposed to guns in general, he saw nothing untoward in using the weapons against machines that were bent on killing him. 

Picking up several, he finally settled on one that was fairly lightweight, and which he believed he could operate with minimal practice. 

"And just to test my theory--" He aimed and fired the weapon at the armory's heavy door. Within the speed of thought, the door was vaporized. Not stopping to admire his handiwork, Batman hurried through the opening and ran down a long corridor. 

**** 

"Garth!" Wonder Girl cried. "What are you doing out of bed?" Both she and Green Arrow rushed to the obviously weakened Atlantean. 

"She's right, Aqualad," GA said gently, leading the young boy to a chair. "You shouldn't be on your feet." GA inspected the underwater dweller. "I'd say you still look a little 'green around the gills,' boy." The Emerald Archer smiled slightly to offset any sting in his words. 

"I shall be all right, Green Arrow," Aqualad protested weakly. "But I must try to help you locate our comrades." He leaned his head onto GA's shoulder. "Water...please..." 

Wonder Girl immediately jumped to her feet and made her way to the ship's galley. She was back in under a minute with a five-gallon container. 

"Here, Garth," she said softly. "Drink this slowly." 

Aqualad smiled in slight amusement. "Slowly?" he asked. "You mistake me for a surface dweller, Donna. Water is to me what air is to you. I require it at regular periods to re-oxygenate my blood cells." He drank gratefully with long, deep draughts. At last, having his fill, he put the container down. Sighing slightly, Aqualad set his chin in a grim line and sat up determinedly. 

"As our friend Kid Flash told me earlier during our mission, Wonder Girl, I am the only Titan with even the slightest esper abilities...I wish to try to find our friends through their mental signatures." 

"You can do that, son?" Green Arrow asked. 

Aqualad shrugged his shoulders, wincing slightly from his injury. "I do not know, sir...Until I communicated with Green Lantern a few days ago, I'd never tried to mindspeak with anyone other than another Atlantean. I guess I won't know until I try." 

GA let out a long slow breath, the only outer indication of his worry. "Very well, Aqualad. Give it a try, kid. But if you even *look* like the effort is going to put you back in the infirmary, I'll have to order you to abort. Do you understand?" 

Aqualad nodded tiredly. He felt exhausted and his shoulder still felt like it was on fire, but he had to try to help his friends. Otherwise he'd never forgive himself... 

**** 

The external ship repair droid advanced silently behind Green Lantern. Amber- hued grapplers reached out for the Emerald Warrior and grabbed him. Occupied with the ship, GL did not expect an attack from the rear. Now, the yellow mechanical arms held him helplessly immobilized. 

GL struggled uselessly against his bonds, but because he was vulnerable to the color yellow, he was unable to break free of the droid's grasp. Still struggling, he found himself being taken back inside the ship. As he was relentlessly carried down several kilometers of corridor, GL finally saw a set of double doors appear up ahead. 

As he drew nearer to the doors, GL was struck once again by the sheer magnitude of the ship. Looking up, GL tried to see how high up they went; however, they soon became lost in the gathering gloom of the upper reaches of the ship. 

"Why would *anyone* build anything so vast?" he asked himself rhetorically. "It seems almost self-indulgent. I *can* therefore I *will*." He shook his head. He'd probably never know the whole truth. 

When he arrived at the doors, he was gratified that a smaller, man-sized portal swung open. "At least, the builders were also a practical people," he concluded. 

Entering, GL looked around the immense chamber. The huge room was practically empty, almost entirely without furnishings of any kind except for a single, man-sized apparatus in the middle surrounded by several instruments. GL noted the reflected light glinting off the metallic shackles. 

GL felt the blood freeze in his veins. 

**** 

Sitting less than a foot away from him, Kid Flash looked as bad as Speedy felt. Speedy noticed ice crystals on the speedster's cheeks and eyebrows. They were each struggling with exhaustion, and the insidious encroachment of sleep. They were both trying to keep one another awake, rousing the other whenever he seemed about to drop off. 

"Twinkletoes," he gasped. "Can't you vibrate so's the cold doesn't bother you as much?" 

Kid Flash shook his head, no. The effort seemed to take a lot out of him. If anything, he seemed to be even worse off than Speedy. He swallowed, and after several unsuccessful attempts finally spoke. 

"We've lost too much oxygen here," Kid Flash explained. "My metabolism eats up a lot of energy even when I'm sitting still, but my body usually restores it naturally...Automatically converts oxygen into energy when it enters my bloodstream...But there's so little oxygen left in here that if I don't conserve what little energy I have left, I could end up like Robbie there." He grinned. "I don't think you want *two* unconscious heroes on your hands, do you?" 

Speedy weakly returned his teammate's grin and shook his head, no. At this moment Robin stirred slightly in his arms. 

"Uhhhhnnnn..." The Boy Wonder's eyes fluttered open. He lay still trying to focus on his surroundings. 

"Hey, Bird-boy," Speedy said softly. "How'ya feeling?" Robin brought his hand up to his forehead, feeling the makeshift bandage. He tenderly touched his temple and winced. 

"What happened?" Robin asked, groggily. He attempted to sit up, but Speedy determinedly held him down. 

"Uh-uh, Bat-boy!" Speedy chastised. "You're not going anywhere. Just lie still." 

Robin blinked, his eyes still unfocused. "Got to...find...Batman," he whispered, struggling weakly against his friend's restraint. 

"I don't think so, Boy Wonder," Speedy said firmly. "Now lie still before I give you another conk on the head." 

Robin looked confused, obviously not completely conscious. He gallantly fought to remain awake, but the combination of overwhelming cold and head injury slowly put him under once more. As he again lost consciousness, his delirium revealed his underlying worries. 

"No...Gotta find Batman...depending on me..." 

Speedy and Kid Flash exchanged worried glances. 

"Funny," Kid Flash finally said. "I always figured that Uncle Barry would be with me...when it happened, I mean." Speedy needed no translation to know what his teammate meant by 'it'. Kid Flash was already thinking about dying. 

"Well, I sure as heck never thought that it'd happen with me holding a *guy* in my arms," Speedy said ruefully. "I'da preferred to be in Wonder Doll's arms, myself, but then...I guess I'm kinda glad that she isn't here." 

"Yeah," Kid Flash agreed. "And I guess I'm glad that Uncle Barry isn't here either...or Aunt Iris." 

The two boys fell silent. Speedy looked down at his unconscious leader. 

"Doesn't seem right somehow," he said tentatively. "I mean, Bird-boy being unconscious and everything...I think he'da preferred giving commands and stuff. You know--" 

"--Finding a means of escape," Kid Flash interrupted, grinning. "Pulling one of those nifty toys from his utility belt. Somehow picking the locking mechanism in the hatch." 

Speedy nodded in agreement. "Yeah...I guess if the Boy Wonder were awake, we woulda been outta here already, right?" 

"Yeah," Kid Flash agreed sadly. "Yeah...we woulda been outta here..." 

**** 

"Twinkletoes...?" Speedy croaked. "You've gotta...stay awake..." 

"So tired...wanna sleep..." Kid Flash murmured. 

All three teen heroes were lying huddled together for combined warmth. Speedy still held the unconscious Robin in his arms, and Kid Flash lay curled up next to them, his arm across the Boy Wonder's chest. 

"Mustn't sleep...stay awake..." Speedy insisted. He reached weakly across the seemingly interminable space over Robin's chest to rouse Kid Flash, but instead he fell into a deep well of blackness... 

**** 

He was walking. Where was he, he wondered? He looked around, confused. It was so dark. 

He didn't feel frightened, he discovered surprised. Smiling slightly, he suddenly knew where he was. At this moment, the darkness lifted, and he saw his friends and family who'd gone before sitting around a large campfire. 

They were performing a vaguely familiar ritual. The Blessingway, he remembered! 

He was home, or as his people called it, Dinetah. 

"Why do you walk this path, Roy Harper?" A shadowy figure, whose back was to the fire, spoke to him. 

Speedy squinted slightly, but couldn't make out the figure's face. 

"I've come home," he said simply. 

"No, Roy Harper. Now is not your time to return to your Dinetah. You have many years yet to walk on the Earth." The figure emerged slowly from the shadows. Speedy recognized his foster father, Chief Brave Bow. 

"Father! Please, don't send me back. I'm so tired. I want to come home." 

"No, my son. Your lifeline weakens, but your will is strong. It is not yet ready to sever all its ties with the world. You have new friends whose Totems strengthen yours. You are now a part of them." 

Speedy looked down in shame. "But I'm a failure. Even now, I have failed them yet again." 

"You are not a failure!" Brave Bow replied sharply. "You are young. There is a difference. You and your companions have made mistakes, but you have learned from them, and the lessons learned have made you all stronger. Even now, together, you make a formidable force as powerful as any Blessingway or Enemyway ritual of the Navaho." Brave Bow made a blessing sign. "You must go back...Farewell, my son..." 

"No! Father! Please, don't go--!" 

The Dinetah faded from sight. Speedy found himself in total darkness once again... 

**** 

"Roy Harper...wake up, Roy...Roy Harper, I command you to wake up!" 

Speedy's eyes snapped open. Where was he? He looked around. He was in a large room comprised of purples, violets, and lavenders. 

"Am I in some girl's room?" he asked hopefully. 

Abruptly, the room went from soft lavenders to a blinding white. 

"Hey! I was kidding! Okay?" He squinted against the bright luminescence. "Sheesh! Some people can't take a little joke." He paused, trying to see beyond the pure light. 

"Hey, whoever you are! Where am I? I'm not dead, am I?" He'd read somewhere that people with near death experiences spoke about a blinding, white light that compelled them to enter. 

Called to them... 

"Roy..." Speedy again heard the voice in his head. He looked around, shading his eyes against the too-bright light. 

"Hey! Who are you? I can't see you...D'you think you can douse the light a bit? You must have a helluva light bill, buddy!" 

His comment was greeted by soft laughter. Did Angels laugh? He couldn't be sure, but he didn't really think so. Still, maybe this was what they meant about a Divine Comedy... 

"It is good to hear you joke again, Roy Harper," the gentle voice said. "You have a strong will, my friend. That is why I am contacting you. Your life-force is very powerful. But there is also something else...powerful energies within you. You are like a bright beacon in a storm-tossed sea." 

The voice paused, then continued regretfully. "Unfortunately, I cannot make contact with your two companions. Their life force weakens with each passing moment. You must help me, Roy Harper...for your sake and the sake of your friends." 

"Why should I trust you? Who *are* you? Show yourself!" 

"All will be revealed in good time, Roy Harper. Until then, you must trust me. I am a friend." 

Speedy's entire being was suddenly suffused by a sense of warmth and friendship. And something else. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint. It felt... He paused confused. "...purple? Hey, was that *your* room I was in earlier? Look, about that 'girl's room' comment...I didn't mean any offense, buddy." 

"None was taken, I assure you. That was not my 'room' as you put it, but rather my pure essence as it was manifested within your psyche." 

"Huh?" 

"As you perceived me to be." The voice paused. "I am sorry, but that is the best that I can explain it." 

Speedy nodded. 

"Okay, my purple friend. I'll trust you. For now. But if you do anything to *hurt* my friends, I swear there won't be anyplace safe for you, anywhere in this universe!" 

"Fear not, Roy Harper," the quiet voice reassured him. "You have my word that I mean neither you nor your companions any harm." 

Speedy nodded, albeit reluctantly. 

"I need you to close your eyes, Roy Harper, and concentrate on your companions. Picture them as you saw them last. I need you to look around to where they're located. See them in their exact placement and relationship to other objects in the room. Can you do that?" 

Speedy nodded, concentrating and doing as he was told... 

**** 

Aqualad folded over and collapsed into Green Arrow's waiting arms. 

"Garth!" Wonder Girl cried, immediately kneeling next to her friend. Aqualad weakly waved her away. 

"I've found them, Wonder Girl," he gasped. "I know where they're located." He gave her their teammates' coordinates. "You must hurry, Wonder Girl...they are all three very weak." 

Wonder Girl quickly returned to the _Avenger's_ command console and Green Arrow rushed aft to the transporter chamber. 

"GA, I'm sending the transporter control center the necessary coordinates *now*!" 

"Got 'em, little Princess," GA responded tersely. "I'm activating the transporter recall now!" A few seconds later, his voice reported over the intercom. "I've got three life forms in the transporter stasis, Wonder Girl. I'm going to start rematerializing each one!" 

"I'm on my way, GA!" WG responded. 

**** 

Chapter Twenty-two 

"Illogical!" The AI denied the truth of events before it. The small, inconsequential life-forms that it had successfully trapped in the Forward Command Area had inexplicably disappeared. Its loyal droids reported sightings of the elusive dark figure that somehow still haunted the ship's body. 

But the one that wielded the strange emerald energy was now its prisoner. Soon, the emerald energy would be absorbed within the ship... 

**** 

The nightmarish device gleamed with the color of burnished gold. 

GL struggled futilely against the restraints. He stood in the middle of a large, dimly lit bay, held immobilized in an upright, spread-eagle position. Several probes attached to his forehead barely hinted at what was to come. 

"This is *ridiculous*!" he yelled. "What kind of people are you? Sadists?" 

No response. 

GL looked around the empty chamber. The almost antiseptic barrenness of the room bespoke of ancient horrors. Old black and white documentaries of Nazi tortures flashed unbidden in his mind. 

The beaded sweat on his forehead slowly trailed down his face. So far, nothing had been done to him, but the anticipation left a cold feeling of dread at the pit of his stomach. 

Fighting against his manacles with a growing, desperate rage, he lashed out at his jailers. 

"No! You're not sadists. Sadists have to *enjoy* hurting others. But you can't! You can't, because you're nothing but a machine!" 

Without warning, the searing, white *pain* exploded in his head! 

"ARGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG!" 

An eternity later, the pain stopped, leaving him breathless, too weak to struggle. Gasping, barely conscious, GL felt his hold on reality slipping. He didn't know if he'd be able to withstand another jolt. 

No! He was Green Lantern of Earth! Clenching his jaw GL waited for the next expected stab of pain. 

Without warning, his very soul was suffused with pure, ecstatic joy: The joy of tasting ice cream for the first time in his life. The joy of flying with total abandon through fluffy, white clouds. The joy of being the sole witness to stars being formed and stars going nova. 

The joy of endlessly holding Carol Ferris in his arms. 

In an instant, the joy turned to pain. 

Not a physical pain, but the gut-wrenching, soul-tearing emotional pain of loss: Carol turning away in disdain for yet another one of his failures. General Douglas informing him he'd been rejected from the astronaut program. Waking up after that terrible accident, knowing in his heart that he'd been responsible for the death of a passenger because he'd chosen to drive while drunk. 

Battling the war within own his soul, GL cried out in defiant anguish. 

"*No*! You can't hurt me with my own memories! I've lived it, *remember*?! It's in the past! The past can't hurt me any more!" He swallowed then added in a dry whisper, "It can't hurt me anymore." 

But he was lying. More than the physical pain of torture, the spiritual wounds from being Human brought him to the edge of despair. 

"No..." he whimpered. "Please, no..." 

A white-hot spasm suddenly shot through his entire being. Unprepared, GL screamed in agony. 

"ARGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH...!!!" 

But the machine's perfect logic proved no match against the imperfect human. 

Against the influx of physical agony, GL rallied back. Without the blackness of his past failures haunting his soul, his powerful will broke free of all tangible fetters. 

Stepping outside of his corporal self, GL clinically observed himself as he continued to undergo the unceasing torture. Knowing that the soul of Hal Jordan would not survive such abominations totally whole, the essence that was Green Lantern began the chant that always brought a renewed sense of self and power: 

"In brightest day, In blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship Evil's might, Beware my power, Green Lantern's Light!" 

Then, he succumbed to blessed darkness... 

**** 

"Superman!" Atom's voice came over the Man of Steel's headset. Superman blasted two more scouts with his heat vision and obliterated another with a powerful fist before he answered. 

"Superman, here." He quickly scanned the space around Mars and its two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Empty space. About to turn away, his eye briefly caught what seemed to be sunlight glinting off a metallic object. Superman instantly concentrated his telescopic/x-ray vision on the spot. There! Hiding within the shadow of Phobos' massive crater was an enemy scout. He took off after it. 

"Supes, I think we've done it. I don't know how...but I think we've done it. We've won. All that's left is the mopping up." 

"That's some mop you're talking about, little buddy," the Flash quipped. 

"Yeah, Mighty Mouse," broke in Black Canary. "I mean, there's gotta be at least a few hundred thousand of 'em left." 

"Atom is right, Flash, BC," Superman replied as he sliced through the retreating enemy ship's engines with his heat vision. 

The scout lost inertial control and careened towards the Red Planet, which was spinning coldly below. Superman's face remained carefully neutral as the ship burned up in the thin Martian atmosphere. 

"Since the armada's programming reverted to its original practice fire mode," he continued, "the battle's been little more than a cakewalk." 

"Well, *excuuususe* me if I'm not ready to ride in the ticker tape parade yet, guys," the Flash replied. "A few hundred thousand of these babies can still do a job on Earth." 

"I'm with Twinkletoes here," BC added. "I'm not ready to quit just yet, either." 

"I didn't say we're quitting, Dinah," the Atom said. "I'm only pointing out that we're finally ahead of the ball game here. And I don't know about you guys, but I'm growing just a little concerned about our teammates and the Titans." 

"And your point is--?" the Flash asked. 

"My point is that all of us aren't needed here anymore. I think that we can spare someone to get out to the galaxy's edge and give our friends a hand." 

His suggestion was met with silence. Finally, the Flash spoke. 

"Ray, nothing would make me happier than sending the cavalry to check on my nephew, but the safety of Earth is our prime responsibility right now. I know that Wally wouldn't want me to abandon our planet if there were even the slightest chance that it could still be in danger." 

"And neither Ollie nor Roy will thank me if I abandon the fight in order to reach them," BC agreed. 

"I have to agree with Barry and Dinah, Ray," Superman interjected. "I understand your sentiments, and I'm sure that all of the JLA members who have junior partners are grateful for the suggestion, but the Earth isn't entirely out of the woods yet. We can't risk sending anyone out to the galaxy's edge if he or she might still be needed here." 

"In case anyone's wondering," Wonder Woman's voice broke in, "Arthur and I are in agreement with Barry and Dinah." 

Atom sighed. "Okay, guys. Just thought I'd offer." 

With that, the heroes returned to the grim task at hand. 

**** 

"How are they?" 

Wonder Girl was studying Robin's medbed readings. "All green, thank Hera," she whispered. WG turned and gave Aqualad a smile. 

"They're all fine, Garth. They're close to regaining consciousness." 

Aqualad returned her smile. "I'm glad." He closed his eyes against a wave of dizziness. Wonder Girl immediately ran to him. 

"Garth! You should be in bed!" 

Aqualad shook her off. "I'm fine, Donna. Really. I'm just a little tired." He paused, overcome by another dizzy spell. 

"You're not well, Garth! Come on. You're lying down...and I won't take 'no' for an answer." Using her Amazonian strength for added emphasis, WG led her reluctant teammate to the remaining empty bed. 

"We still haven't heard from either Batman or Green Lantern," Aqualad protested weakly. "I am the only one here who can find them without the need of electronic tracking devices. I can't go to sleep yet." 

Wonder Girl smiled at her gentle, sea-dwelling teammate. 

"I'll tell you what. You rest and drink plenty of water to restore your electrolytes. Then, if you're a good boy and make that red blinking light up there--" She indicated the medbed's diagnostic panel. "--become a green blinking light, we'll see about letting you save the universe. Okay?" 

Aqualad's eyes returned her smile, and he nodded. "'Kay." 

Within minutes, he drifted off into a quiet, restful sleep. Wonder Girl stood in the middle of the infirmary surrounded by the sleeping forms of her teammates. She suddenly had the feeling that she was a mother hen protecting her brood. 

**** 

Batman heard the bone-chilling screams in the distance. Not hesitating, he took off at a full run. God, don't let me late, he prayed silently. 

Abruptly, the screams stopped. 

As he reached the end of the air duct, Batman stopped just inside, still within the shadows. Seeing the tortures being inflicted on the proud, heroic figure of GL, Batman felt a black rage take hold of his soul. 

Every few seconds or so, GL's form would be hit by a sudden spasm. Finally, his head slumped over, obviously unconscious. Batman grimly took note of the gold apparatus that was holding the Emerald Knight prisoner and quickly assessed its weaknesses. 

Not bothering for stealth, the Dark Knight kicked open the air duct's closed grill and jumped out into the open bay. Moving swiftly across the empty space between them, Batman hurried to his teammate's aid. 

He was immediately targeted by the chamber's automatic defensive systems. Searing particle beams came at him from multiple angles. Batman instinctively dove, rolled, and leaped to avoid being fried. Taking the alien weapon he'd confiscated earlier, he placed it on its maximum setting and fired. 

The next few seconds seemed to last hours. Exposed and unprotected, Batman had to be constantly on the move. As he'd fall and roll on the floor, he'd instinctively sight and fire at yet another wall-mounted weapon. But for each one he managed to take out, there were several more still locking onto him. 

Batman knew that even he couldn't keep this up. But he'd be damned if he'd quit and abandon Green Lantern... 

**** 

Robin stirred in his bunk. Wonder Girl moved quickly over to his side. Studying his readings, she was happy to see that he was coming to. 

"Uhhnnnn..." he groaned. His eyes slowly fluttered open. He squinted against the light, but soon recovered against the glare. Wonder Girl brought a glass of water to his lips, and he drank gratefully. 

"What's our status?" he whispered. "Report." 

Wonder Girl smiled tolerantly. Putting the glass down, she saluted playfully, and giggling, mimicked her barely conscious leader. "'What's our status'? 'Report'! My, my. Don't we wake up a bit cross?" 

Blinking blearily, Robin focused on his beautiful teammate. "Donna? Where are we? What happened?" He looked around confusedly. Noticing the others lying unconscious around him, he sat up suddenly and instantly regretted it. 

"Let *that* be a lesson to you," WG said, in a no-nonsense tone. "Now, you lie back down, Boy Wonder, and I'll tell you everything I know..." 

**** 

Batman withdrew a number of pellets from his utility belt and threw them towards the center of the room. Shielding his eyes from the incandescent flash- bang, he felt his way towards GL. The momentary flash temporarily overloaded the defensive array's tracking devices, allowing Batman precious seconds to free his teammate. 

Hastily cutting through GL's manacles with a laser penlight, the Dark Knight threw the Emerald Knight over his shoulder and ran back to the air conditioning vent. Arriving just below the open grill, the two heroes were instantly beset by deadly particle beams once again. 

Fending off the enemy with the alien weapon in one hand, Batman calmly reached into his utility belt for the last of the transporter recall patches. Protecting GL with his own body as a shield, Batman slapped the patch on his unconscious friend's upper arm and activated it. 

At the same instant, Batman was struck a glancing blow to the head by a particle beam. As the universe around him reeled, Batman's final conscious action was protecting his friend even as GL dematerialized... 

**** 

Almost as soon as Robin regained consciousness, the rest of the male Titans followed suit. Aqualad began voicing his protests at Wonder Girl's ministrations almost immediately. 

"But I must *try*!" he argued. 

"Aqualad, you're not strong enough," Wonder Girl said patiently. "The previous attempt took almost the last ounce of strength you had." 

"You've tried everything else," Aqualad said reasonably. "None of our electronic tracking devices have worked. I'm their only hope." 

"He's right, Wonder Doll," Speedy said quietly. 

The others looked at him with varying expressions. Robin looked carefully impartial, Wally skeptical, and Green Arrow understanding. Wonder Girl, on the other hand, looked thunderous. 

"Roy! How can you encourage Garth? Look at him...he's not well. The effort to rescue the three of you took everything he had." 

"Maybe. But don't you think that Gillhead here has a right to make his own decisions?" 

Wonder Girl looked at him as if she were ready to explode. But before she could say anything, Green Arrow broke in. 

"Speedy's right. You're a team, yes, but each of you is an individual. As such, while each of you is responsible to the others, you're also responsible to yourselves." He paused and turned to Aqualad. "Son, are you sure about this? You're still pretty weak." 

Looking paler than was normal even for him, Aqualad nodded, albeit weakly. "I-I think can." He looked at Speedy. "Roy, I-I'll need your help." 

"*My* help? But--I don't understand, Gillhead." 

Aqualad smiled. "When I made contact with you, Speedy, I saw that you have certain abilities unknown even to you. Perhaps these are a result of your mystical Navajo teachings. Whatever the reason, I was able to make mind contact with you easily and quickly." He paused and smiled. "You have a powerful personality even when you're unconscious." 

Robin cleared his throat. "Aqualad, is there anything I can do to help? Batman's out there and I--" He dropped his eyes and shrugged. "--I just want to do something." 

Kid Flash punched him lightly on the arm. "Hey, Robbie, it's okay. The Bat- guy's the best, remember?" Robin nodded. 

"Robin, I tried to contact you first, of course," Aqualad explained, "but I couldn't break through your barriers." 

"Barriers?" Robin asked blankly. 

"Yes, you have some strong mind shields. Have you ever studied mind control techniques?" 

Robin nodded. "Sure, ever since I was a little kid. Tibetan mind techniques are some of the first things that Batman ever taught me." He grinned, suddenly boyish. "Helped me get better grades in school, too." 

"Bird-boy, is there anything that you *haven't* studied?" Speedy asked. Robin ignored him, instead concentrating on Aqualad. 

"Aqualad, I'm not sure about these 'barriers' as you call 'em, but I *do* know that that if I can do anything to help, I want to--" 

At this moment the transporter alarm went off. 

"What the--?" Green Arrow muttered. He hurried to the command console. "Something or someone's activated a JLA transporter recall patch. The _Avenger's_ transporter's intercepted the beam." As he spoke, GA adjusted the instruments. Apparently satisfied, he turned to the Titans. "Whatever it is, we have it in stasis." 

Robin, who'd immediately run to the command console as soon as the alarms sounded, studied the stasis signature. 

"I don't believe it," he said, turning and running back towards the transporter chamber. "It's GL! Come on! We've gotta get him out of stasis, ASAP!" 

"GL?" GA called back, following the younger hero. "How in the world do you figure that?" 

"I recognize the readings," Robin replied. He was concentrating fiercely at the transporter controls. "Believe me, sir...GL's unique signature is not something I'm likely to forget anytime soon." Without further comment, the Boy Wonder began rematerialization procedures. 

Within seconds, the heroic figure of Green Lantern appeared before them. As soon as he was fully formed, GL collapsed inside the single chamber... 

**** 

When he finally regained awareness, Batman found himself immobilized by the very apparatus that had held Green Lantern only moments before. He tested the restraints holding him. 

"I see you have an efficient damage control crew," he said to the room at large. 

No answer. 

"I don't understand what purpose torture serves you," he continued. "You're obviously a non-sentient machine, incapable of gaining any sort of pleasure or satisfaction from watching living beings suffer--" 

*Pain* exploded within his entire being. 

However, having observed GL's torture, Batman was mentally prepared. He did not scream at the all-consuming agony, but it required almost all of his self- discipline. 

Abruptly, the pain stopped. 

Batman gasped at the sudden release. Closing his eyes, he searched for his center, a quiet, peaceful place where he could go temporarily to escape physical torment. 

He didn't need it. 

The next moment, his soul was suddenly suffused with unimaginable happiness: The happiness of his mother kissing him good night. The happiness of Alfred baking him a chocolate cake for his sixth birthday. The happiness of his father surprising him with a special trip to the movies to see his hero, Zorro! 

Bruce Wayne felt the tears well and allowed them to flow freely. He was six years old again and happy. Truly happy... 

**** 

"Speedy, I need you," Aqualad said. Speedy nodded reluctantly. They were standing next to Green Lantern's medbed. 

"What do I do?" Speedy asked. Aqualad smiled gently, his violet eyes steadily holding Speedy's nervous green ones. 

"Give me your hand," he said. Speedy looked about ready to balk, but instead nodded and held out his hand. Aqualad took it in his, and still holding the teen archer's eyes, quietly reassured him. "Don't worry, my friend. You have a very strong will. I know that whatever happens, your strength will be of great value." 

Speedy smiled nervously and nodded. 

"Now close your eyes," Aqualad instructed. "And do as I say..." 

**** 

"Wake up!" 

Speedy immediately opened his eyes. It was pitch black. He couldn't see anything. The junior archer felt an instant surge of fear, which quickly passed. He was a hero, after all. 

"Where am I?" he asked. "Where did everybody go?" 

"You're here," the gentle voice replied. 

"Thanks. You sure cleared that up," Speedy answered. 

The voice laughed softly. "You are quite droll, my impatient friend." 

"Gillhead?" Speedy asked, unsure. 

"Yes. It is I," Aqualad replied. "When I count to three, you will be able to see as well as hear...One, two, three! Behold!" 

"Whoa!" Speedy uttered, amazed. "Where *are* we?" He was surrounded by verdant rolling hills. Everywhere he looked, he seemed to be surrounded by vibrant fields of green. "Even the sky's green," he whispered. "Toto, we're not in Kansas, that's f'sure." 

"No, we are inside Green Lantern's mind. The multiplicity of hues of the color green is how his subconscious perceives the universe." 

"Uh-huh. So, what do we do?" 

**** 

"So, what do we do?" Kid Flash asked. Robin continued adjusting the transporter console. 

"*We* do nothing. But as for *me*--" Robin smiled grimly. Success! "I'm going back for Batman." 

"But, how--?" 

"I traced the transporter beam to its point of origin. I'm going back there." 

"But, Robbie, you don't know if Batman's even there anymore." 

"Maybe not, but it's the best clue I've got. And if there's the slightest chance that I'll find him, I'm going." 

"Then I'm going, too," Kid Flash said. 

"Uh-uh, Flasheroo--" Robin began. 

"You can't talk me out of it, Robin," Kid Flash said steadily. "Like Green Arrow said. We may be a team, but we're each responsible for ourselves. I'm going with you." 

Robin held his friend's gaze and finally nodded. "Okay, Kid. You're in." 

"If that's the case," a voice from behind added, "then I'm coming, too!" 

**** 

"Bruce! Sweetheart, it's time to come in!" 

Bruce heard his mommy calling him to dinner. He sighed. He'd just found the neatest thing, too. A hidden entrance to a stupendous cave! He'd followed a giant-sized bat to the opening and had spent the better part of the past hour clearing the overgrown brush and debris blocking the entrance. 

"Aw, gee," he muttered. "I never get to have any fun." Ignoring the call, Bruce began the descent into the darkness below... 

"Bruu-uuce!" He could still hear his mommy's persistent voice. Bruce looked up slightly bemused. He was *way* down here, on the other side of the Wayne's vast estate. How could he hear his mommy calling him...? 

"Bruce! Young man, you are a disgrace to the Wayne name!" Dr. Wayne's deep tones rebuked his young son. Bruce looked up at his daddy. 

He felt confused. How did he get here? He'd been way over *there* just a moment ago. 

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" his father asked. "Look at you. Your new suit, it's ruined. And where have you been? Haven't your mother and I warned you about staying out of those caves below? They're dangerous!" 

Bruce nodded, confused. How did his daddy know about the cave? He'd only found it just now? 

"I-I'm sorry, Daddy." Bruce felt bad. He hated to disappoint his father. "I promise to be better." The tears began to fall of their accord. 

Dr. Wayne smiled down at his little boy and picked him up. "Hey, none of that, chum. How many times do I have to tell you? Superheroes don't cry." 

Young Bruce sniffed, wiping his eyes with his knuckles. Swallowing a couple of times he gazed solemnly into his daddy's eyes. 

'Chum'? 

His daddy never called him *that* before. No, *he* called *Dick* 'chum'! Who was 'Dick'? Bruce concentrated, struggling to remember. Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly. His daddy had never told him that he shouldn't cry. And what was a 'Superhero'? 

Bruce studied his daddy closely. The same smile that greeted him every day of his life gazed back. Except...? 

Except that the smile wasn't quite right. Daddy's eyes didn't have that special twinkle they always got when he smiled at him. No, Daddy's eyes looked cold and flat...almost like the glass button eyes of one of Bruce's stuffed animals. 

Bruce began to struggle in his daddy's arms, shaking his head. "You're not my daddy!" he cried. "Let me *go*! You're not my daddy...You're *not*! You're *not*!" 

Batman woke to *pain*! 

**** 

Chapter Twenty-three 

The emerald energy being escaped! This was unacceptable! The ship's AI 'knew' anger! The Dark One was responsible and for that, it would pay. These biological life forms were extremely delicate...not at all like the Krghlm! The AI paused, momentarily confused. 

Not like the Krghlm...? 

ERROR...RETRY...ERROR... 

**** 

Robin and Kid Flash whirled towards the sound of the new voice. 

"GA!" they said together. 

"But--" Robin began. 

"No 'buts,' kid," GA interrupted with a slashing motion of the hand. "I know the Bat's your partner, but he's my teammate. And, well, I kinda grew to like the big guy on our trip here. He's okay." GA studied Robin. The younger hero's jaw set, ready to protest. "I want to help, kid...Please, let me help." 

Robin's demeanor didn't change. A muscle jumped in his tightly clenched jaw. If anything, he appeared even more stubborn. However, he finally nodded. "Okay. But this is *my* game, and we play by *my* rules! Agreed?" 

GA's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Up until now, Batman's junior partner had been studiously polite, almost deferential, to his elders. A new wave of respect for the Boy Wonder suddenly shot through GA. Obviously when it came to his partner, the kid could be a regular barracuda. 

Just like the Old Man. 

A grin flashed across GA's face. 

"All right, kid. You're in charge. But don't be surprised if I, well, sort of 'overlook' a few orders now and then. I have a reputation to maintain, after all." 

Robin glared. That's all he needed, an adult version of Speedy who'd never grown up. He nodded and began briefing his team. 

**** 

"Hey! I can move my arm without any pain," Speedy said surprised. Aqualad nodded. 

"Don't forget, Speedy. In this realm, we are not bound by normal physical laws. We are, after all, inside the human mind where possibilities are limitless." 

"Yeah, sure," Speedy said, taking a practice shot. He aimed at a distant tree that he could've sworn hadn't been there a moment ago. The arrow stayed on target until the last possible second. Abruptly, it *stopped* in mid-flight, made two ninety degree turns, then flew back to him. He caught it in surprise. 

"What the--?" 

Aqualad laughed softly. "I'm sorry, my friend. But I had to show you what I meant about endless possibilities." 

"You mean that *you*--?" 

"--Changed the course of your arrow while in flight?" Aqualad interrupted. "Yes. And you can, too, as you shall soon see." 

At this moment, the two teen heroes arrived at the edge of a deep chasm. The far side was too distant to jump, unless--? 

Speedy looked down the bottomless drop and shuddered. He didn't think he was ready to test Aqualad's theory of "limitless possibilities" by trying to jump across *that*! 

"If we only had a bridge," he muttered. Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, an old-fashioned, covered wooden bridge appeared. It gracefully spanned the distance across the dangerous chasm. 

Aqualad smiled at him and took a step forward. 

"I don't believe this," Speedy said under his breath. He regretted the words as soon as he uttered them. The bridge disintegrated at the same instant. 

Aqualad was caught in midair, just stepping onto the bridge. The Atlantean went over the edge. 

"*Speeee-deeeeey*...!" 

"*Gill-head*!" Speedy hurried over to the edge in time to see his friend somehow grab onto a rock outcropping. "Hang on, Aqualad! I'm coming!" 

Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Speedy fired off a rope arrow towards his friend, confident that he'd be able to reach him on time. Lashing one end of the rope to a sturdy rock (~Where did *that* come from, he wondered?~) Speedy adjusted the line over and under his shoulder and legs, and promptly rappelled down towards his teammate. 

Within seconds, Speedy arrived near Aqualad and in no time had him safely secured to the line and ready to return. 

"Can you hold onto me, Gill-head?" Speedy asked. He was worried about the teen Atlantean's shoulder. Aqualad nodded, climbing onto Speedy's back. Amazingly, Speedy had them both safely on top in near-record time. "Man, that was close," he gasped. "Gill-head, haven't you ever heard? Fish can't fly?" 

Aqualad grinned broadly. "Oh, but they can, Roy...Look!" To Speedy's stunned shock, Aqualad stepped over the edge again. 

"*Gill-head*!" Speedy stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Finally, he reluctantly walked to the chasm's edge. Floating safely and just below eye- level was Aqualad, gently bobbing up and down. "What--?" Speedy's legs gave out under him, and he sat down abruptly. 

Aqualad floated up to his teammate and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry I frightened you, Speedy, but I had to show you that our normal physical laws do not apply here." 

Speedy nodded. He was still visibly trying to get his raging emotions under control. His hands shook slightly. Twice in the last few minutes, he'd thought he'd lost his friend. Finally, his concern for his quiet teammate changed to outrage, and before Aqualad could react, Speedy punched him solidly in the jaw. 

Aqualad went down like he'd been shot. 

"If that were true, Gillhead, then why did you have me climb all the way down there to get you? Why did you put me through this...this...whatever this *is*...*twice*!?" 

Aqualad felt his jaw and grinned ruefully. "I guess that's *one* physical law that still exists." 

Speedy didn't return his smile. Aqualad dropped his eyes in momentary shame, but raised them again. 

"I wanted you to have the confidence to act under these unusual circumstances. Even if you can't think logically, 'I can fly,' you *can* think, 'Hey, I've got this arrow to do such and such.'" Aqualad looked down again. "I'm sorry if I overstepped bounds, but I knew of no quicker way to drive the point across." 

Still glaring at the Atlantean, Speedy nodded. "Okay, Gill-head, I'll accept your explanation for now. But you owe me, and when this is done, we're gonna have a little 'talk.'" He held his fist to Aqualad's slightly bruised jaw for emphasis. 

The two junior heroes regarded each other for a moment longer, then both turned away, determined to continue their mission. 

**** 

This isn't real, he insisted. This isn't happening. But there was nothing he could do to stop it from reaching its inevitable pain-filled conclusion... 

A clear, moonlit night. 

Steps echo on the hard, wet pavement. 

Mommy's warm, comforting laughter caresses him. 

Daddy's firm, strong hand squeezes his shoulder. 

"Your birthday, Bruce...your wish." 

The words resonate in the night. A strange foreboding overwhelms him. 

No! It can't be happening! 

A shadow appears. Moonlight glints off a metal object. A voice growls in the night. 

Daddy yells, outraged. 

"How dare you--?" 

Mommy screams, "Thomas--!" 

A shot! 

Daddy looks surprised. He looks down at his chest at the rapidly spreading red stain. He collapses, facedown into a puddle. 

A hand grabs Mommy's pearl necklace. It breaks into dozens of perfectly round luminescent moonlets. Each flies up in a soft arc, but soon begins an unearthly slow descent to the sidewalk below. 

He watches, mesmerized, as each pearl pings when it strikes the sidewalk cement and bounces off in ever decreasing arcs into the night. 

"You've *killed* him--!" 

"Shut up, lady!" 

A second shot. Mommy's voice is silenced forever. 

As she falls, two red roses that she's been holding in her white-gloved hands, fall in tandem. As she hits the pavement, the roses gently rain down and come to rest on her still form. 

Her pristine white gloves are soiled by the dirty rainwater. 

He feels a growing agitation. This isn't happening. This isn't real. This is *not* happening. This is *not* real. This is *not*--! 

So why does it hurt so much? Why won't the pain stop? 

Your birthday, Bruce...your wish... 

*Dick*! I need you, son...I can't do this alone... 

Your birthday, Bruce...your wish... 

The refrain reverberates in his head. 

"Mommy...Daddy..." Bruce whimpers. "My birthday...my wish...my fault...*my* fault...Dick...help me..." 

***** 

As soon as he materialized, Kid Flash zipped into action. He assessed the defensive array at supersonic speed, and in an eye blink, neutralized the wall- mounted particle weapons. A series of alarms began, strangely echoing in the cavernous bay. 

At the same instant, Robin transported. Once fully formed, he sprinted, zig- zagging, towards Batman, noting aircraft carrier-sized bay doors along the starboard side. He readied three Batarangs while on the move, and threw them almost simultaneously--one, two, three--at the machine's control panel. They each exploded on contact, sending an impressive shower of sparks and smoke into the air. 

Following Robin's explosive Batarangs, a volley of emerald arrows completed the job, destroying the machine's main console. 

Several hidden wall units began opening. Through the corner of his eye, Robin caught what looked like short, stubby, metallic boxes. Droids! He noted analytically that the droids' sides were opening. What looked like robotic arms began emerging. 

As soon as the arms were fully extended, deadly particle beams took aim at the Boy Wonder as he raced across the open bay towards Batman. Not stopping, Robin leaped onto the torture apparatus, and whipping out a pen-laser, began cutting through Batman's shackles. 

Taking a quick look back, Robin saw Green Arrow calmly targeting the droids with arrow after arrow, while somehow avoiding getting hit in turn. Before Robin could blink, a scarlet and gold blur whipped through the open bay, knocking over several more of the metallic droids as they emerged from the walls. 

Pausing only long enough to carefully lower Batman to floor level, Robin threw his massive partner over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, hooked his arms through Batman's utility belt, and began a staggering quick-walk, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the monstrous machine. 

The alarms in the background abruptly stopped. A new sound replaced it: a loud klaxon accompanied by a strobing red light. Robin almost dropped Batman in shock. 

Kid Flash was immediately next to him. "What's happening?" the junior Speedster yelled. 

GA ran up and joined his teen teammates. "Are you two boys all right?" 

"Stick to the plan! Activate your auto-returns!" Robin ordered, ignoring both their questions. They only had mere seconds before--! 

Too late! 

The massive cargo doors he'd noted as soon as he transported onto the giant bay began to open. The enormous suction caused by atmosphere escaping into an airless vacuum immediately picked them up and hurled them to the open maw of space... 

**** 

"Hello, boys!" Green Lantern lay on a chaise lounge, next to a swimming pool. He was dressed in green swimming trunks and an open, green, flower-print shirt. He wore green aviator glasses, and topped it all off with a green panama hat. 

He gave them a friendly wave. "Here, grab a seat! Make yourselves comfortable." He called a beautiful young woman over to them. She was an exotic shade of green from head to toe: skin, bikini top, grass skirt, hair--everything! 

"Olive, sweetheart! Get these two youngsters something cool...that's a darling." Olive soon returned with two tall ice-filled glasses of a strange emerald drink. 

"What is it?" hissed Speedy. 

Aqualad shrugged. "It's green," he said nonchalantly. He'd heard that once on Star Trek and had always wanted a reason to say it. 

Speedy glared arrows at him, and hesitating slightly, took a sip from the mystery drink. Whatever it was, it was delicious! Minty, he decided. He drank it straight down. He hadn't known how thirsty he was. 

"So, what brings you boys into my dream?" GL asked. 

"You mean, you know--?" sputtered Speedy. 

"Of course." GL sounded like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. "Why else would everything be such a tasteful shade of green? I love the color, but things can get rather monotonous after a while." 

"Then why don't you...you know...wake up!" Speedy asked. "We really need you!" 

"Sorry, kid," GL answered, sounding slightly regretful. "No can do. I've tried waking up, but every time I do, everything goes kind of black...or was it red? Not really sure." 

GL's voice had taken on a faraway quality, and he stared off into the emerald- cool waters of the pool. Abruptly, he blinked. 

"But it hurts...a lot. Couldn't take it anymore." He shrugged. "Everybody always said I was nothing but a loser anyway...I guess they were right." 

"A *loser*?" Speedy asked, shocked. "You?! You've gotta be kidding!" Speedy was so outraged at the thought, he voice rose an octave. "GL, you're like...the greatest, man! Even GA says so...and he doesn't think of anyone except himself!" 

"Speedy is correct, Green Lantern," Aqualad said. "You are counted amongst Earth's greatest heroes. Some would even venture to say that you are on equal par with Superman! Your power ring, and the powerful will with which you manipulate its awesome energies are beyond imaginable. Aquaman says that you haven't yet begun to tap its full potential." 

GL grinned. "Arthur said that?" Aqualad nodded. "Well, I'll be...never thought His Majesty had anything nice to say about *any*one." He laughed softly to himself as if digesting this bit of tremendous news. "Well, whadaya know?" 

"Okay, look, GL," Speedy interrupted a bit impatiently. "Now that we have *that* out of the way, what do you say to, uh, waking up and getting on with the job?" 

GL's light mood slowly faded. It was replaced by a look of deep regret. "I'm sorry, kid, but like I said...I can't break through this dream. Whatever happened to me, it was more than my subconscious could tolerate. It looks like I beat a hasty retreat here to my little emerald paradise. Nothing I've been able to do so far has allowed me to return to consciousness." 

Aqualad studied GL in amazement. "But how can that be, GL? If you know that this all a dream, why can't you make yourself wakeup?" 

GL's eyes darted away from the boys. His whole demeanor shrank in on itself, and an utter look of abject fear seemed to take hold of him. 

"Because he's out there," GL whispered. "He's out there...waiting for me..." 

**** 

As he careened towards certain death, Robin tried to save his team one last time. First he quickly attached his utility belt to Batman's with a metal O- Ring, thus ensuring that he would not be separated from his unconscious mentor. 

Next, he took out a grappling hook, and not taking time to sight, shot a line towards Kid Flash. He saw it loop several times around the junior Speedster, and lashed it onto a metal eye-ring that he noticed in passing. 

Grabbing onto the ring, he quickly hooked Batman's utility belt to it, effectively anchoring both himself and his senior partner for the moment. Without missing a beat, he shot a second grappling line towards Green Arrow. 

GA was a bit farther out than Kid Flash had been, however. It would be a close call. 

"*GA*!!" he screamed. "The *line*! Grab it!" 

Green Arrow managed to right himself. He was mere moments from the opening into the blackness of space. Taking out an arrow, he took almost casual aim, and shot it straight towards the grappling hook. 

"What are you *doing*?" Robin cried in shock. GA was going to knock the line off course! 

However, rather than deflecting the grappling hook's trajectory, GA's arrowhead opened up at the last second, releasing a mini-grappler. It grabbed onto Robin's hook, and both Robin and GA pulled from their respective ends. 

Success! GA's forward momentum towards the open bay doors halted. He quickly tied himself to the safety line and took a brief moment to breathe a sigh of relief. 

"Thanks, kid!" he said weakly. Obviously not taking the moment to celebrate, Robin was instead waving madly at him. "What does he want now?" GA muttered. It took him a second to realize what the Boy Wonder meant. The transporter auto- recalls. 

GA waved his understanding. Looking over to his far left, he saw the little Flash Kid, uh, Kid Flash doing likewise. "Robin's a born leader," GA said in admiration. 

**** 

The alarms sounded throughout the _Avenger_. Depressurization! Wonder Girl *flew* forward to the Command console. What was going on?! Quickly checking her instruments, she was relieved to see that the problem wasn't inside the ship. Therefore, it must be another one of those emergency defensive moves of the giant alien. 

A cold fear gripped her insides. Where were Robin, Kid Flash, and GA? She hadn't seen them since Aqualad and Speedy began their mind-journey. 

Fighting off a sudden panic attack, WG forced herself to calmly perform her systems checks... 

There! Transporter activity less than fifteen minutes ago. 

"Destination...destination...*come on*!" she cried. The coordinates flashed before her. "Would they still be where they materialized?" she asked herself. "Don't be stupid, girl!" she chastised herself, rapidly typing in location commands. "Hurry, hurry, hurry..." she muttered. "Hera, help me! Please work...please work...please work..." 

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep...! Transporter automatic-recall signals: three! 

"Thank Hera!" Wonder Girl activated the transporter recall... 

**** 

"Who? Who is out there?" Speedy cried. They didn't have time for this. Too much was at stake. He walked up to GL and grabbed him by the lapels. "Who is *out* there?! Tell me!" 

GL rolled up into a fetal position and began sobbing. "He's out there! He's out there!" 

"GL! GL!" 

"Speedy! Wait!" Aqualad said. He came up to Speedy, and forced him to release GL. "Don't you see? No body is out there! Whatever happened to him, it was all in his mind. Something so horrible, so terrible that even *he* couldn't face it. Whatever it is, it's up to us to help him overcome his fears." 

"But what could possibly be so terrible that a guy like GL couldn't face it?" 

Aqualad shrugged. "Who knows what monsters lurk within the deepest recesses of the human mind? It could be a monster of his imagining...or of his past...or..." 

"Or what?" Speedy asked. 

"Or of something he has yet to encounter." Aqualad and Speedy looked intensely into each other's eyes, then as one turned towards GL. 

**** 

Wonder Girl watched her transporter instruments closely: one, two, three signals. She had three signals in the transporter stasis. Working quickly, she set the panel controls and began the process of rematerialization. 

She activated the first stasis signal. She watched anxiously as the scarlet and gold figure of Kid Flash formed. He stood, eyes closed for a split second. Blinking slowly, he opened his eyes. 

He took a moment to check his hands, his torso, his head. He flashed a wide grin. "Hey! I'm all here! Way cool!" 

Wonder Girl smiled back, but she didn't have time to chat and said so. "Please, step away from the chamber, Wally. I still have to get the others." Kid Flash nodded, suddenly all business, and stepped off smartly. 

Next, the emerald colors of Green Arrow coalesced onto the transporter platform. He recovered faster than Kid Flash. Turning to Wonder Girl, he gave her the same devil-may-care grin that Speedy had. WG smiled back, unable to help herself. 

She was about to begin the process of bringing in the third signal when, GA abruptly stayed her hand. 

"Wait, little princess!" he called. "Let's check it first." 

"But--" WG's confusion must have been telegraphed on her face because GA immediately stepped aside and pointed. 

"Look!" He didn't offer further explanation. Uncertainly, WG walked over to the console and studied it closely. She squinted as she looked closer at the readings. 

"Two--?" she asked. GA nodded. 

WG closed her eyes momentarily. If she'd tried to process a normal transporter rematerialization for single being when there were actually two--! She didn't *want* to think of the possible consequences. Swallowing, WG adjusted her instrumentation for two separate human beings. Satisfied, she cautiously activated the reformatting buffer. 

Instantly, a form took shape on the sole console's platform: Robin! He stood a second longer, blinking rapidly. Taking a step forward, he stumbled slightly. GA caught him immediately and helped him off the platform. 

"I'm all right," Robin protested. 

"Of course you are, kid," GA reassured him. "But we gotta get you off the platform so's we can bring in ol' Dark and Dreary." 

His eyes closed in exhaustion, Robin nodded. 

GA gave Wonder Girl the thumbs up. "Now or never, little princess." She smiled and nodding, activated the transporter for the final time. 

Soon, the tall, forbidding form of the Dark Knight took shape. As soon as he solidified, Batman's imposing figure slowly crumpled... 

**** 

"We'll have to go in and get him out," Aqualad said calmly. 

"Go in 'where'? Get 'who' out?" Speedy asked. 

"Go further into GL's subconsciousness, and get *GL*--or rather, the *rest* of him--out." 

Speedy's look of complete incomprehension must've told the story. Aqualad sighed. 

"But, I'm afraid that we may need more help." He shrugged. "I'm not sure if just you and I are strong enough or powerful enough to face the monsters of the deepest human subconscious. And if we're to ever have Green Lantern whole and well again, that's going to be our next battlefield." 

**** 

"But I've *got* to see him!" 

"Robin...look, kid, I know how you feel, but the little princess is doing everything possible right now," GA explained patiently. "You'd only be underfoot." 

"But *I'm* his partner! I have a right to be in there!" Robin was as near to tears as the older hero had ever seen the boy. He felt his own heart catch in his throat. 

The door to the infirmary opened at this moment. 

"Robbie--" Wonder Girl began, but Robin ignored her. He took the opportunity to duck out from under GA's grabbing fingers and rushed in. Not paying attention to what was happening by GL's medbed, Robin hurried to Batman's side. 

"Batman," he whispered. His senior partner looked very pale under his cowl. His contorted face seemed to bespeak of some bone-deep pain. Robin checked the medbed readings. His heart froze. 

All readings were in the danger zone. Batman's life force was quickly slipping. 

"*NO*!!!" he cried. Not caring who else was around, Robin threw himself on Batman's unconscious form. Hugging him tightly by the neck, Robin sobbed quietly, "*No*...Please, God, no...he can't die..." 

The others in the room watched the heart-wrenching scene with various degrees of empathy. 

Wonder Girl immediately turned to Speedy, who unknown to Robin had, along with Aqualad, emerged from his trance momentarily. Speedy held her closely. Green Arrow placed a comforting hand on his junior partner's shoulder. 

Kid Flash made a move as if to go to Robin, but Aqualad held him back. 

"We should leave them alone," Aqualad said softly. The others nodded reluctantly and made as if to leave. 

"You *can't* die!" Robin cried in sudden anger. The others turned as one. "You promised me you'd come home...you *promised*!" He wiped the streaming tears. "When Mom and Dad died, you promised you'd take care of me...that you'd never leave me. You *can't* go back on your word!" 

He stopped momentarily, too overcome to continue. Finally, getting his emotions under tight control, he spoke. "Alfred needs you. What will he do without you...? *I* need you, too. Who'll teach me stuff? I still don't know how to extract DNA...and I sure can't strike fear into the hearts of criminals like you." 

He took hold of Batman's gloved hand. "I can't lose another father," he said softly. "I can't...please, don't leave me...please..." He held Batman's hand to his cheek and felt the tears start again. 

Then, almost imperceptibly, he felt a slight pressure on his hand. Gasping, unable to believe what he'd felt, he waited. There it was! The slightest pressure on his hand, just enough to let him know that Batman was aware...that he was going to be all right. 

"Batman?" he whispered, hopeful. The others noted the change in his voice. Wonder Girl quickly ran to the medbed and began running a new diagnostic program. She turned excited eyes to the others and nodded eagerly. 

Batman was going to be all right! 

Within a few minutes, Batman regained semi-consciousness. The others remained a respectful distance from mentor and student. 

Batman's hand came up slowly and Robin placed his much smaller one in it. Batman gave his junior partner a heavily medicated half-smile. 

"You came...for me...?" he whispered. Somehow it came out a question. Robin smiled through his tears. 

"What are partners for--?" 

**** 

Chapter Twenty-four 

Illogical! Illogical! All of the biological life-forms had escaped. The AI's sensors reported that they had returned to their ship. The AI concluded that the only solution would be to expel the alien ship from the bay that it currently occupied and destroy it. 

The AI ran an analysis program. Previous efforts to eject the ship had been met with resistance. Somehow, the smaller ship had remained firmly anchored to its current spot when the bay had been depressurized. 

Conclusion: Reverse tactics! 

The AI's systems seem to glow with new life... 

**** 

"Don't you *dare* try to get up!" Robin ordered. "Or I'll strap you down!" 

Kid Flash looked at his friend in shock. How could Robin talk to *Batman* like that? 

His eyes closed, Batman's mouth twitched weakly. "You'd better show some respect," he murmured, "or I'll give you a spanking." 

Robin gave him a wicked grin. "Oh, yeah? You and what Army? Look at you! You can't even hold your head up without help." 

Batman nodded imperceptibly. "Okay, partner," he said faintly. "You're in charge..." He swallowed, struggling to maintain consciousness. "The codes...still have to...give you...the codes..." 

Batman fell into a deep sleep. 

"What did he mean about codes, Robbie?" Kid Flash asked. 

Robin shrugged. "I'm not sure, Twinkletoes. We were in the middle of reprogramming the alien ship's AI when *everything* hit, remember?" 

Kid Flash nodded. How he could forget? 

"Maybe he's talking about the program we were working on," Robin mused, "although, I *thought* we'd finished it." He shrugged and started heading forward to the Command Center. "Well, we can't worry about it right now. We've gotta get the _Avenger_ outta here, first. We're a sitting duck, and it's just a matter of time before the alien decides to bring the battle directly to us." 

Kid Flash opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a series of jolts against the ship's hull. The boys were slammed against the bulkheads with bone- jarring force! Robin's acrobatic training helped him maintain his balance as he continued forward at a run. 

"*Report*!" he ordered sharply as he entered the Command Center. Wonder Girl was running a systems diagnostic. 

Not looking up, she replied, "We're being hit by unidentified solid objects approximately weighing-in at a ton or more...the size of large houses!" 

"Single or multiple family?" Kid Flash sniggered. 

"Shut up, Twinkletoes!" both WG and Robin barked. Frowning, Kid Flash took his station at the ship's sensors. Aqualad and Speedy soon joined them at navigation and weapons, respectively. 

"Looks like the gang's all here!" Kid Flash called. He was immediately assailed by his teammates' rebukes: 

"Shut up, Twinkletoes!" 

"--Fleetfeet!" 

"--Hayseed!" 

"--Flasheroo!" 

Kid Flash's face fell at the verbal assault. "Hey, don't take it personally, Kid," Green Arrow quietly advised. "The other JLAers are always telling *me* to shut up, too. It don't mean nothing." 

Kid Flash looked at GA a bit uncertainly, but in the end his own sunny personality won out and he turned back, smiling, to his station. His smile didn't last long, however. 

The _Avenger_ was suddenly rocked with a ground shaking *whump*! The interior lights flickered and all ship's systems went momentarily offline. 

"Another one like that, and we're *toast*!" muttered Robin. "We're getting out of here, Titans! Wonder Girl--! Engine start up procedures!" 

"Check!" 

"Aqualad--! Plot a course that'll take us approximately one AU from the alien!" 

"Aye, aye, Skipper!" 

Shaking his head, but not bothering to comment on Aqualad's silliness, Robin addressed Kid Flash. 

"Flasheroo--! Sensors--forward and aft. Report any anomalies, ASAP!" 

"Gotcha, Robbie!" 

"Speedy--! Stand-by weapons--! Monitor shields...report any weaknesses to WG!" 

"Roger!" 

"Okay, Titans...here we *go*!" 

Robin disengaged the _Avenger's_ magnetic grapplers, which acted as the ship's 'anchors,' holding the ship firmly to its berth. He activated the anti-gravs in order to maneuver in the relatively enclosed space of the alien's giant cargo bay. Bringing the _Avenger_ about, Robin was about to engage the forward thrusters, when the Titans were startled by a new threat! 

"Robbie!" WG shouted. "The *doors*! They're closing!" 

"Suffering swordfish! We'll never make it!" 

"Don't bet on it, Gill-head," Robin muttered through gritted teeth. Not daring to power up the warp drive in the enclosed space, Robin fired the impeller engines. The Titans were instantly thrust backwards on their seats as the powerful thrusters suddenly threw them forward towards the steadily closing doors. 

GA stood in the rear of the command section. It took almost all his iron will to keep a solid grip on the handholds he'd grabbed onto as soon as Robin fired the engines. While seeming outwardly calm, inside, GA's emotions were churning. 

The kid'll never make it, he thought. 

GA bit down on his tongue to keep from speaking up. This was the Titans' play. He was just along for the ride. 

"Speedy--! Ready weapons!" 

"Weapons ready!" 

"Fire!" The _Avenger's_ powerful particle beams shot forward, dead center at the steadily closing doors. Two red-hot scars began forming where Speedy aimed the deadly beams. The red quickly turned to white, which in turn became blue- white. 

Robin felt beads of sweat poring down his forehead. They were almost to the doors. 

"Distance to impact--!" reported Kid Flash. "500 meters...400 meters...300...200...Robbie, we're gonna hit--!!" 

It wasn't working! The particle beams were proving ineffective against whatever material the doors were made of. 

"100 meters to impact! Robbie--!" 

The doors continued closing relentlessly... 

Abruptly, Robin spun the _Avenger_, 180 degrees on her x-axis. 

"Cease fire!" he barked. He expertly brought the _Avenger_ about to her former berth. "Activate magnetic grapplers--" 

"Magnetic grapplers--activated!" Wonder Girl reported. 

Robin disengaged the impeller drive, and slowly brought the _Avenger_ back to rest. 

**** 

"So what do we do now?" asked Speedy. 

"We break out," Robin said. They all looked at him, but he was busy running a systems check. "WG, bring up the handshake program." Wonder Girl looked at him in surprise, then did as ordered. 

"Flasheroo, remember that little thing you did earlier up at the Forward Command Center with the computer program?" Robin asked the question as if he were only half-listening to what he himself was saying. 

Kid Flash nodded, then realizing that Robin wasn't looking at him, answered. "Yeah, I remember." 

"Good. I need your speed." 

Kid Flash was next to him immediately. "I want you to look at this pattern," Robin said. "Now I want you go through *every* letter/number/symbol substitute that you can think of until you make those doors go 'open sesame'. Got it?" 

Kid Flash looked at him seriously. "Yeah, no prob." He shrugged. "But it'll take a while," he added. 

"I know," Robin acknowledged. "Flasheroo, this is important...When you think you've hit on the right combination, *don't*, I repeat, *don't*, open the doors. It'll tip our hand." 

Kid Flash froze. "But--? If I can't try to open them in order to test the program, how will I know that I've succeeded?" 

Robin looked confidently at his friend. "You'll know, Flasheroo." He turned to Wonder Girl. "WG, I'll need you to get the _Avenger_ ready and primed for take off the second I say, 'Go!'" 

"But, Robbie, what are *you* going to do?" 

"The rest of us are going on a little 'magical mystery tour'," he said enigmatically. "And Aqualad here is our tour guide." 

Aqualad smiled, understanding dawning in his violet eyes. 

"Let's go!" Robin ordered, heading towards the infirmary. 

**** 

"Can you do it?" Robin asked anxiously. Aqualad gazed at him with serious violet eyes. 

"It is not a question of whether *I* can do it, Robin. It's a question of whether you will *allow* me to. Your mind shields are exceptionally strong. I believe that it would require someone much more powerful than I to willfully break through them. However, if *you* voluntarily let your shields down, it should not be a problem." 

Robin looked helplessly at his friend and teammate. "But how can *do* that? I didn't even know that I *had* these 'shields' in place before you told me." 

"Do you trust me?" Aqualad asked. "Do you trust *us*?" His question took in the others who were gathered round. Robin looked first at Speedy, then at Green Arrow. He swallowed. He looked back at Speedy. The junior archer was giving him a steady look. Robin held Speedy's eyes a moment longer. 

He slowly nodded. "Yeah, I trust you. With my life." He looked at Batman and Green Lantern. "With all our lives." 

Speedy responded with a slow grin. "Okay, then, Bird-boy! Let's do it!" 

**** 

"Awaken...!" 

Robin snapped awake. He looked around. The shadows caressed him, protected him. Comfortable in his element, he began walking carefully, stealthily. He stopped. 

He was on a tight rope that spanned across the empty space into the deeper gloom beyond. He walked in the shadows afforded by the endless stalactites that surrounded him. 

"He does that quite well, doesn't he, sir?" 

"He should, Alfred. He's been doing it since before he was born. Isn't that so, Dick?" 

Dick grinned. His mom and dad used to go up on the high wire and trapeze while she was still carrying him, in order to prepare their unborn baby for the life of a circus aerialist... 

**** 

The scene shifted. 

Dick inexplicably found himself in the middle of the Batcave's vast training room. Alfred stood in his usual staid manner, holding a silver tray laden with two tall glasses of iced water with a lemon twist. 

Bruce was demonstrating yet another strength hold on the rings. 

"Kid stuff," Dick pshawed. "I thought you were going to teach me stuff I didn't know." 

"You'd better show some respect," Bruce threatened, "or I'll give you a spanking." 

"Oh, yeah," Dick giggled, racing for a rope, and rapidly climbing it to the Batcave's highest reaches. "You and what army? Look at you...you're slower'n Maggie, the Tattooed Lady." 

"That does it! You can run...but you can't hide!" Bruce said, swinging over and beginning the chase. "I *am* the World's Greatest Detective, you know!" 

"Oooh...I guess, here's where you strike fear into the hearts of criminals, right?" Dick giggled again as he dived off the impossible heights he'd reached. 

"Sir--!" Alfred warned, dropping his tray. 

"Dick--! Don't--!" 

Dick calmly reached out a hand for one of the rings that Bruce had been using, and with a sure grip stopped his dizzying descent. With a twist and a flourish, he landed on the mat below, both arms held up. 

"See, kid stuff...!" 

**** 

He blinked. The scene had shifted again. 

He was sitting on a stool, a warming blanket around him. He was looking up at his new mentor and guardian with a look of incomprehension. 

"Son, you're not ready for that kind of stunt!" Bruce said. 

"But you yourself said that I've been doing this since before I was born--!" 

"That was just a figure of speech! Look, I'm not even sure about this whole sidekick bit, either." Bruce knelt before him and held him by both his arms. "You're still just a kid...and..." he struggled with his churning emotions. "You've become very important to me, son. I couldn't bear to lose you..." 

**** 

This time, he took control of the shift. 

"You said we were partners," Dick reminded him quietly. "Partners trust each other. Bruce...you've gotta learn to trust me. You *trained* me, remember? A guy couldn't ask for a better teacher. I'm not a little kid anymore...Look at me, Bruce! *Look at me*!" 

Batman slowly turned around and looked at his young partner, who stood proudly before him in a spotlight, wearing his Robin costume. He was surrounded by shadowy figures outside the circle of light...Batman squinted to focus on them, but they were too hazy for him to make out. 

"I know you can't really see them, Batman, but these are my friends...*our* friends. The Titans and GA. I'm the Titans' leader, Batman. They trust me, and I trust them. Just like I trust you, with my life. I've got a job to do, Batman, and I need your help. But you're unconscious right now, and I had to use Aqualad's help to contact you." 

"You mean mind-to-mind?" Batman's demeanor became instantly cold, withdrawn. 

"Like I said, I trust them. With my life. With *our* lives. Aqualad assured me that anything that was personal, anything that had to with our lives that I didn't want them to know about, he and the others wouldn't see. And I know they won't...because I have my friend's word on it...Do you trust me?" 

Batman nodded. "Go on. What do you need?" 

"The codes, sir. You're the only one who knows them. I need to reprogram the alien ship so that it'll stop this senseless war against Earth..." 

**** 

"Welcome to the Emerald City," Speedy quipped. 

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" GA asked. 

"Oh, they're around," Speedy assured him. "You just can't see them." 

GA nodded. "Oh. Well, looks like we're definitely *not* in Kansas anymore. Gotta say, though...I kinda *like* the color scheme." 

Speedy snorted. "Yeah, you and GL would make a *great* team, Ollie. Mister By- the-Book and Mister Non-Conformist!" 

"And why would I want another partner when I've got *you*, eh, kid?" GA asked. Speedy looked at him expecting a punch line. When none was forthcoming, he smiled inwardly. "Come on, kid," GA said clapping his junior partner on the shoulder. "Let's go find our so-called Emerald Knight. " 

**** 

The deep gloom of the Batcave was gone. Robin looked around. Everything was green! "Guess we're not in Kan--" 

"--*Don't* say it," Aqualad interrupted. Robin looked at him nonplussed. "Sorry. It's just that I've heard that same line too many times already." 

"Oh." Robin looked around. "Where're Speedy and GA?" 

"Oh, they're here," Aqualad assured him. "You just can't see them." At Robin's look, he explained. "I'm in mind contact with you, and Speedy is in mind contact with GA. And, of course, Speedy and I are in contact with each other. I can see *them* and Speedy can *us*, but you can't see *them* and GA can't see *us*." 

"How come?" Robin was genuinely curious. Aqualad shrugged. 

"It's just easier. Like I said...your mind shields are very powerful. It's taking a lot more concentration on my part than normal to keep you in the link. But I'm not a powerful enough esper to link you with the others. So..." 

"So, I'll have to trust you that the others are actually there." 

"Correct." 

"Um, will I at least be able to see GL when we find him?" 

"Of course. This is *his* dream after all. He'll be able to see us all. And I wouldn't at all doubt it that once we find him, or his consciousness, we'll all be able to see each other." 

Robin shrugged. "Then let's go." 

"Speedy says to remind you that he'll have to relay our conversations to GA and vice versa." 

Robin sighed. "Oh, this is just turning out to be perfect." However, he nodded and looked at Aqualad as if to say, 'Lead on.' 

**** 

The attacks on the _Avenger_ started again. Wonder Girl kept the outer shields on maximum and even tried to anticipate the attacks by adjusting the shields accordingly. After one particularly violent attack, which threw the systems offline, she vented her growing frustration. 

"Okay, I've had just about enough!" she hissed. Kid Flash looked up her. 

"WG, the power...can you get it back on? I don't know how long the work I've already done will last with the power gone!" 

"Hold on a sec," she muttered. She checked several of her instruments, and still agitated she slammed her fist on the panel. It went through the metal plate! 

"Whoa..." Kid Flash whispered. 

Wonder Girl dropped her eyes in shame. "I am sorry, Wally. Now I really have to fix it." 

"Hey no prob," he answered. "I'm good at puzzles, remember? Show me a diagram and I'll have it fixed in no time!" Wonder Girl smiled gratefully at him. 

The _Avenger_ was suddenly rocked again. 

"That's it!" she yelled. "I'm going out there and I'm going to put an *end* to this nonsense!" 

"But Robbie said--" 

"I *know* what Robbie said! To get the _Avenger_ ready for takeoff! Well, I can't do that as long I'm being pelted with house-sized boulders!" 

"But, WG, the bay is still depressurized... my powers are useless in a vacuum." 

"But mine aren't. Don't forget, I'm an Amazon," she said a bit imperiously. "I can survive under extreme conditions. All I need is an oxygen mask, and I'll be okay." 

"Uh...I don't think that's such a good idea, Donna. Robbie isn't gonna like this..." 

"Robbie's not here, remember? And I'm in charge. I'm going out there." 

At that moment they were rocked by a powerful *~whump~*! And all systems went down. 

**** 

"Ollie! What a pleasure!" GL called. Robin's eyes seemed to open. He saw Speedy and GA for the first time. Speedy waved 'hello.' 

"Hal, how're you doing, buddy?" GA replied. He sat down on a chaise lounge next to GL's. Olive, the exotic waitress, was instantly at his side. "Um, whatever *he's* having," he said indicating GL. 

"Mighty decent of you to show, Ollie," GL said sincerely. "The kids were by here earlier, but couldn't quite get through my defenses. Strong will and all, you know." He shrugged. 

GA nodded, only half-understanding. "GL, we *need* that strong will of yours just about now. We need your ring. We need *you*. Whatever's troubling you, buddy, you've gotta fight it--" he was interrupted by Olive bringing him his drink. He looked at its 'greenness' and grimaced. Shrugging he took a sip. His grimace deepened. "What *is* this stuff...? Tastes like green honey!" 

He put it down on a table that appeared out of nowhere. 

Robin meanwhile was watching everything through fascinated eyes. The landscape kept changing around them. One second they were in a green alpine mountain lodge, the next they were in a Hansel and Gretal hunter-green forest. Momentarily, they were on a beach with miles of endless green sand. 

"I don't believe this," he muttered. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the scene began to blur, to phase out, like a monitor that was badly in need of tuning. He blinked and shook his head at the same time. 

The 'picture' was suddenly clear and stabilized. 

"Did you *see* that?" he asked. 

"See what?" Speedy asked. 

Aqualad was nodding thoughtfully. "It makes sense. When we first arrived here in 'Greenland,' Speedy didn't believe what *he* saw, either. It took awhile to get him to *accept* what he saw and work with it. Perhaps, that was the wrong approach...perhaps, what we *should* be doing is strengthen our disbelief." 

Robin nodded thoughtfully. Getting an idea, he cleared his throat. GL and GA looked up. 

"Excuse me, GL, but we really don't have a whole lotta time. We left Wonder Girl and Kid Flash alone in the _Avenger_ and you and Batman are both lying unconscious in the infirmary. The alien armada is still attacking the Earth, and the mother ship is determined to destroy us. Like it or not, GL you're the only one of us powerful enough to stop it. We need you to break out of this little Green Paradise setup you've got here." 

"Look, kid, like I told the other Titans, I've tried, but--" 

"Coward--" Robin interrupted, coldly. The others looked at him in shock. 

GL smiled uncertainly. "Kid, I swear, I've tried--" 

"Loser...you're nothing but a born loser! Batman told me about you...how you totaled your jeep and killed your passenger..." 

GL jumped to his feet. "That was an accident--!" 

"You were *drunk*! You were feeling sorry for yourself...just like you're doing now. What happened? Turned down by Space Command, wasn't it?" Robin crossed his arms, smirking. "A loser, a coward, and a drunk! Not to mention a murderer. No wonder you can't wake up. If I were *you*, I wouldn't want to wake up either!" 

GA studied Robin a moment longer, then turned to his teammate. "What Robin just said true, Lantern? *Were* you responsible for someone's death, because you were drunk?" 

GL shook his head in hot denial, but the tears were streaming nevertheless. He fell slowly to his knees. "It was an accident...I didn't mean it--! Please--! Stop it! Stop it!" 

"Look at this place, GL," Robin harangued. "If it weren't so ludicrous, it'd be pathetic. A green cocoon to curl up and die in..." 

GL was immediately surrounded by a 'green cocoon.' 

Robin was momentarily stopped by the sudden shift, but then continued with his cruel litany. 

"Well, I don't believe in this place! Do you hear me? We are not in some wild, peppermint-colored world. We're in the middle of a space battle, and you, like it or not, are a member of the JLA--the World's Greatest Heroes!" 

The landscape seemed to fizzle and snap temporarily, but then came back, stronger than ever. 

Robin stopped, breathing raggedly. GL was curled up on the side of his chair, weeping incessantly. Robin didn't know if he could go on. The more upset GL became, the stronger the green landscape seemed to become. He looked at Aqualad for help. Aqualad picked up where Robin had left off. 

"Perhaps Aquaman was wrong about you," he said tentatively. "He has been known to make mistakes before in assessing a person's character. But even so, Arthur knows what is important, and he knows what he must do when Atlantis is in danger. He is the King after all. He does his duty...*You* are the Green Lantern of Earth. You have a duty to your people, to us, to yourself." He paused. "I *know* that you are not a coward, GL. Or at least, the GL *I* know is not a coward...nor a loser." 

"That's where you're wrong, Gill-head," Speedy broke in. "I say we're wasting our time. Let the loser cower here under his little 'green blanket' forever..." A green blanket suddenly appeared around GL's shaking shoulders. "We need to get back and help Wonder Doll and Twinkletoes. This guy's useless." 

"Yeah, useless...look at this place. He can't even keep it steady. It keeps phasing in and out," GA added. "What's the matter, Hal...can't keep up the illusion without our help? That's it, isn't it? If we don't believe in it, you can't hold it up. Well, I for one don't believe in it. I think that you're just afraid to wake up because you're afraid of failure. You've failed so many times in the past, that now, when the JLA is faced with our first real threat to Earth, you're too chicken to do what you've sworn to do." 

GA turned away in disgust. "Well, like Speedy here said...we don't have time for this. We have a world to save. You can cower here in your little green world and fight off your little green demons. And I pray that when you *do* finally wake up, you can live with yourself...'cause I know I sure won't want to have anything to do with you." 

Even as he said the words, GA knew that they came from the heart. Perhaps a few minutes ago, it had all been a ploy to get GL to wake up and stand on his own two feet, but there was too much at stake. At the moment all he felt was disgust. 

"No...please, don't leave. I-I'm trying, Ollie...I swear. It's just that...it hurts so much. And *he* keeps taking over...he's waiting to taking over. I'm not sure how much longer I can fight him off." 

"Who, GL?" Robin asked. "Who are you talking about?" 

"Awwww...can it, Robbie," Speedy said in disgust. "That's the sign line of horse feathers he tried to feed me'n Gill-head here earlier. Let's go...the guy's not a hero...he's just a big zero!" 

*~YOU ARE RIGHT! HAL JORDAN *IS* NOTHING BUT A LOSER! TELL ME...WHY DO YOU PUT UP WITH HIM?~ 

They all looked up to the sound of the new voice. Another Green Lantern hovered in mid-air above them. He looked like a slightly older version of GL, with gray streaks along the temples, his costume a bit different. Nevertheless, the lantern emblem figured prominently on his chest. 

*~GREETINGS! THE NAME IS HAL JORDAN...BUT YOU MAY CALL ME PARALLAX!~ 

**** 

"WG, are you sure?" 

Wonder Girl continued to put on the exo-suit. She nodded a bit distractedly. She didn't really need the suit, but Kid Flash had insisted, otherwise he threatened that he'd go with her. 

Finished, she turned to him. "It's the only way, Wally." They looked at each other. They were standing in pitch darkness. The incessant pounding along the hull had finally brought down all systems. They were running on temporary life- support and emergency lights only. 

"Everyone's depending on us. I've got to stop the attack, and you have to bring the ship's systems back up. I'm the best 'person' for the job to meet the enemy hand to hand, and you're the best 'man' to fix the systems at super speed. You know that." 

Kid Flash nodded unhappily. 

"Let's go," she said. They headed for the ship's airlock. At the heavy hatch, Wonder Girl stopped and turned to face Kid Flash. She suddenly hugged him. 

"Take care, Donna," he whispered, fiercely. She turned and headed quickly into the airlock. 

Kid Flash closed the outer hatch and locked it down. Wonder Girl smiled from inside the hatch, then she shut the inner hatch. Kid Flash heard the lock as it fell in place. He zipped to the Command Center and began running the necessary systems diagnostics at supersonic speed. 

Within moments, the pounding started again... 

**** 

"Parallax?" GA asked. "Who the hell are *you*?" 

~"I AM HAL JORDAN...OR RATHER HAL JORDAN IS ME. OR HE *WILL* BE!"~ 

"*No*!!!" GL cried, standing up defiantly. "I'm *not* you!" As soon as GL stood, his swimming trunks and flowered shirt were replaced by his familiar Green Lantern costume. 

~"THEN WHY DO YOU HIDE AND COWER WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER ME? WHAT HAVE YOU TO FEAR? YOU ARE MY YIN...I AM YOUR YANG...YOUR DARK SIDE...THE SIDE OF YOU WHO RAGED AGAINST THE POWERS THAT BE WHEN YOU WERE PASSED OVER FOR THE ASTRONAUT PROGRAM...THE SIDE OF YOU WHO DESPISES CAROL FERRIS AND HER COLD SUPERIORITY...THE SIDE OF YOU WHO CHAFES UNDER THE GUARDIANS OF OA AND THEIR INSIPID INTERERENCE ON *YOUR* SECTOR OF SPACE...*YOUR* PLANET!"~ 

"No...I didn't deserve to be passed over, but Space Command did what it thought best for the program. I couldn't challenge it...they did what they thought was right. And Carol...I *love* her, I don't hate her...you don't know what you're talking about. And the Guardians...they're my friends and my teachers. They have the galaxy's best interests at heart. They're good Beings...I don't resent them." 

~"MAYBE *YOU* DON'T, BUT *I* DO! AND SINCE I AM *YOU*, MY RESENTMENT IS EATING AWAY AT YOU, AND YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT!" Parallax looked at GL with undisguised contempt. By then the Emerald Knight was levitated next to his doppelganger. ~"BY THE COSMOS...YOU *ARE* A LOSER! EVEN THE CHILDREN CAN SEE IT."~ 

"No!" Robin shouted. "Don't let him win, GL! You're *not* a coward or a loser! You're Green Lantern of Earth! One of the world's greatest heroes, and I'm proud to know you!" 

"The kid's right, buddy," GA called. "You're a real hero in *my* eyes. Maybe you *do* have cause to feel a might resentful for being treated unfairly, but I've never known you to willingly hurt anyone. If your passenger was killed because you were drinking, then I know you've already taken responsibility for it, and it's a guilt that'll never go away. But you've acknowledged it, and you've faced it. I'm proud to be your teammate, and I'll be proud to continue working with you." 

~"OH LISTEN TO THE LITTLE PEOPLE AND HOW THEY *DO* GO ON,"~ Parallax scoffed. He looked at the heroes on the ground and an emerald beam shot out from his chest. The Titans and GA scrambled for cover. 

"What are you *doing*?" shouted GL flying to avoid being hit. 

~"GETTING RID OF THE PESTS...THEY ANNOY ME."~ 

"No...! They're my friends!" GL shouted, aiming his ring and powerful will at the evil imposter. "I won't let you destroy them! I won't let you destroy me!" 

~"TOO LATE, HAL...I'M ALREADY TOO MUCH A PART OF YOU. YOU WON'T GET RID OF ME SO EASILY."~ Parallax turned on GL and aimed the full brunt of his emerald beam at his mirror self. 

The two emerald beams met in mid-trajectory: GL's ring versus Parallax's chest emblem's beam. 

GL began reciting his oath, drawing strength from the familiar words... 

"In brightest day--" 

As they fought above them, the Titans and GA weren't idle. 

"In blackest night--" 

"Speedy!" Robin called. The junior archer looked up from where he'd dove for cover. Robin spotted him and sprinted towards him. As he slid to a stop, he quickly removed his yellow cape. 

"No evil--" 

"You think you can--?" 

"You kidding? Hand it here, leader man!" Speedy quickly selected a special arrow from his quiver, hooked Robin's cape to the tip, took careful aim, and let fly! 

"--Shall escape my sight." 

"Aqualad, your esper powers...can you control the arrow's flight?" Robin called. 

"Let those who worship evil's might--" 

"I will try, Robin," Aqualad said and began to concentrate. As Robin watched, Speedy's carefully aimed arrow wobbled a bit and *disappeared*! 

"Beware my power--" 

Before Robin could blink in surprise, the arrow reappeared immediately above Parallax's head. The hook suddenly released Robin's cape and it fell over the evil twin's head, billowing in a shroud over his lantern emblem, and quickly wrapping itself tightly around him. Robin could swear that his cape had actually grown in length! 

Caught unawares, Parallax struggled against the surprise attack. 

"Green Lantern's light--!" 

GL's full measure of will power took over. Since this was *his* dream, his emerald ring suddenly held dominance over the color yellow. As happened before with Kid Flash, the usual physical laws were no longer in effect. 

"You are not *me*! And I sure as hell am *not* you! You're some kind of feverish monster brought on by the alien's torture machine, and I'm sending you back to where you belong... the darkest recesses of my sub-conscious, where the only harm you'll ever cause is a bad nightmare after too much spicy chili!" 

As they watched, Parallax slowly started to fade, becoming first transparent, and then beginning to shrink. As he shrank and faded further, Parallax continued struggling against Robin's cape; however, GL's emerald beam and will power kept him firmly in place. 

Finally, he disappeared completely. 

Robin's cape fell into his hands... 

**** 

Wonder Girl leaped out of the way of yet another missile while smashing another into atoms. She was growing weary of the game. And her inner frustration was increasing exponentially. 

"Okay, Mister Ship...I've just about had it," she muttered. "I've taken all I can stand, and I can't stand no more!" She paused. "Donna, you've got to stop watching cartoons with Wally." 

As another boulder-sized object careened towards her, Wonder Girl flew up to it, matched its speed and trajectory, and 'caught' it. Her powerful hands gripped the object tightly, and emulating a pitcher's windup, she reached back, and threw it back with all the force she could muster. 

When it hit, she felt the entire ship shudder from the impact. She dusted her hands in satisfaction, but didn't have time to indulge in celebration for long, as the boulder-sized objects began flying at ever-faster rates. 

Looking around quickly for something to help her, Wonder Girl suddenly spotted the support beams that ran along the length of the open bay. An idea instantly formed. She flew to one, and taking a firm hold of it, pulled it from its foundations. 

Lifting it easily, she soon flew back to the middle of the bay, and hovered halfway to the ceiling rafters. Holding the gigantic beam like a bat, she waited for the next assault... 

**** 

Kid Flash zoomed through the _Avenger_ flipping switches, connecting wires, rewiring circuits, and tracing the movement of charged electrons. He worked with intense concentration on bringing the ship's power back on line. 

He looked over the ship's plans yet, again, tracing the wiring carefully. Studying the diagram, he finally sighed in disgust. He'd done everything according to the plans. He'd checked it and double-checked it. What had he done wrong? 

"Need help?" 

Kid Flash seemed to jump out of his skin. "Who--?" 

The dark, menacing figure stood in the open hatch. Or rather, he was leaning weakly against the open hatch. 

"Batman!" Kid Flash squeaked. Catching himself, he zipped over to the Dark Knight and assisted him to a chair. It was a mark of Batman's weakness that he willingly accepted the boy's help. 

"What are you doing out of bed!?" Kid Flash demanded. Then realizing whom he was addressing, he swallowed and added in a very small voice, "--sir?" 

Batman leaned back, his eyes closed. His mouth twitched imperceptibly. The weak grin bolstered Kid Flash's sagging determination. "Sir, Robbie said you had to stay in bed...you're--" Batman opened a single, baleful eye and stared. The nervous youngster paused and finished weakly, "--sick." 

Batman shook his head. "Codes...have to finish...codes..." 

Kid Flash shook his head helplessly. "But every system is offline!" He was near tears. "I've tried *everything*! Checked every circuit and double-checked it! Triple-checked it! I can't *fix* it!" 

Batman held his hand up for quiet. Seeming to grow in strength, he stood. With a slight hesitation, he walked to the command console. Kid Flash had the ship's plans strewn across it. Batman took a cursory glance at the diagram and carefully checked the readings and dials on the control panel. 

Gritting his teeth, he made a fist and slammed it on the control panel. Kid Flash jumped. The systems all suddenly flickered and came online. Batman went pale under his cowl, the effort having taken some of what little strength he'd mustered earlier. 

"Whoa," Kid Flash whispered, awed. He made a move to assist the Dark Knight, but Batman put his hand up in a staying movement. 

"We have work to do...let's get started." 

**** 

Chapter Twenty-Five 

Illogical! Illogical! Illogical! 

The ship's AI was trapped in logic loop. The energy life-form defeated the illusion program. The AI would no longer be able to absorb its fearsome energies into the ship's systems. Worse, a new threat seemed to have appeared out of no where capable of deflecting and redirecting the massive objects that the ship's defenses launched at the smaller intruder. 

If the AI had been capable of feeling despair, at this moment it might have been seeing the beginning of the end. 

**** 

"Let's go," GL said encompassing the group in his emerald aura. The next thing they knew, they were all back in the _Avenger's_ control room. 

The first person Robin saw was Batman. 

"What are *you* doing out of bed?" he cried. 

"What I came to do," Batman replied without pausing. Robin glared at the back of his mentor's head, but bit back his reply. There wasn't time to argue. 

"Where's Wonder Doll?" Speedy asked. Without replying, Kid Flash flipped on the forward monitors. To the others' shock, the young Amazon was steadily batting back the incoming boulder-sized objects. 

"I think her batting average this inning has been about a thousand," Kid Flash quipped. "Well, nine hundred, anyway, 'cause she let a few get by her." 

"I'd give her a hand, but I don't believe she needs it," GL replied. "Batman, I assume you're working on the codes. How's it coming?" 

"Done. Here..." he handed Robin a disk. "It'll be better if it's programmed directly into the ship's Forward Command Console. That way we don't run the risk of losing communications in the middle of the data transfer. If this works, the alien AI's primary program should be circumvented. At that point, we should be able to reason with it sufficiently to stop its attack on Earth." 

"What if it doesn't work?" GA asked the question on everyone's mind. 

"Then we destroy it," GL said. "This thing's too dangerous for us to allow its to continued existence. It has no sense of empathy, kindness, or justice. It's a *thing*...! And after what it put me through, it would be very easy for me to *hate* it, but..." he paused, his eyes hooded. "...But there's no point in hating something that does what it does without malice...it simply exists...follows its primary program." 

GL drew himself to his full height. His emerald aura instantly enveloped him. "But if I have anything to say about it, one way or another, this ship will not continue in its present state much longer." 

Batman stood slowly. He was visibly struggling to remain on his feet. With a cry, Robin ran to him and immediately offered support. 

"You're hurt! You should be in bed! Please! I promise we'll take care of everything...you don't have to worry. I give you my word!" 

Batman looked down at Robin, his grim demeanor softening slightly. He hesitantly placed his hand on Robin's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. 

"I'll be all right, chum...I know that I have to sit this one out. But before everyone goes off in different directions, here's the plan..." 

**** 

Robin worked feverishly at the Command Console. He felt weird...everything was green. It was almost like being back in GL's dream, but this time the Emerald Knight was consciously protecting the young Titan with his Ring's aura. If the reprogramming didn't work--! 

Neither wanted to think about that... 

**** 

Kid Flash and Aqualad zipped through the ship's corridors at rates the junior speedster wouldn't dare with a non-superpowered passenger. Both wore exo-suits just in case they ran into trouble; however, Batman's comlink kept them constantly apprised of corridors that still retained an atmosphere. 

Their mission was both dangerous and necessary: they were placing mini-charges of a special gelignite explosive along the ship's main axis. With the numerous charges that the boys had to carry, the easiest method of transport was to have the gel-charges trail in Kid Flash's wake. It was also risky. 

Once, they slipped into a corridor that they'd gotten the green light on, but a second into it, they discovered that while the corridor might still have an atmosphere, it did not have gravity. It took Kid Flash some fancy reverse footwork to keep from slamming them into the farthest bulkhead. 

With a little more effort, which was brought on by sheer desperation, the teens were able to recover the explosives before their momentum sent them careening towards the far end of the corridor. The youngsters exchanged relieved looks once they'd safely retrieved the gel-charges. 

"Next time," Aqualad gasped as they were about to get going again, "I'll swim." 

From that point on, they approached each new turn with extreme caution. Kid Flash might be able to vibrate through walls, but not with Aqualad. And definitely *not* with the explosives. 

**** 

Wonder Girl waited for the next 'fast pitch.' Five minutes ...ten...After fifteen minutes of no new missiles, she contacted the _Avenger_. 

"_Avenger_, this is Wonder Girl." 

"Go ahead, Little Princess," GA replied. 

"I think the giant ship's tired of the game. He seems to have collected his balls and gone home." 

GA chuckled slightly. "Guess you're the new World Series champ, kid. Come on in. There's someone here who's mighty anxious to see you." 

Wonder Girl smiled. "I'm on my way, GA. WG out." 

When the airlock opened, Speedy stood waiting. Wonder Girl ran into his arms. 

A few minutes later, they headed towards the command section. 

"Hey, you think you can show *me* how to hit an inside curve ball?" he asked. 

**** 

As the program downloaded, Robin stood anxiously watching GL. The Emerald Knight did not look himself. The older hero had been through so much in the past few days; Robin wondered if he'd make it through the next few hours. 

"Sir?" Robin said tentatively. GL looked down at the junior hero. "Everything's going to be okay. You'll see. Batman's program will work...I know it will." 

GL smiled. "You're a good kid, Robin. It's been a pleasure working with you and the Titans. You're real heroes." The signal sounded indicating the download was complete. Robin hurried back to the command console. 

"_Avenger_, this is Robin." 

"_Avenger_ here. Go ahead, Boy Wonder," Speedy's voice came over the intercom. 

"Download complete. Prepare to transport back to--" 

Zzzzzzssssshhhttttzzz... 

"Robin?" 

No reply, just static. 

"Robbie, you there?" 

Static... 

"Robin, come in...Robin, this is the _Avenger_...come in! Robbie? Green Lantern...come in...Someone...come in!" 

Speedy's agitated voice echoed in the empty Forward Command Center... 

**** 

"I tell you it *turned*!" Black Canary shouted. "It did *not* follow the normal pattern!" 

"..." 

"Atom? Hey, Mighty Mouse, you still there?" 

"Yeah, I'm here, BC...And don't worry, I believe you...JLA, this is the Atom. Heads up, people. Look at your long range sensors...!" 

"Great Hera!" 

"Great Krypton!" 

"Poseidon, help us!" 

"Now that I have your attention...You guessed it! There's been a slight change of plans. The armada is regrouping. Somehow it's reformed its attack formation. It's no longer on the practice fire mode..." 

"It's returned to its invasion pattern," the Flash said. "This is it, team...This could be the end." 

"They must've failed somehow," BC added quietly. The others knew she meant their teammates at the edge of the galaxy. 

"Then, *we* must not fail, as well," Aquaman's powerful commanding voice cut through the comlink chatter. 

With that, the World's Greatest Heroes grimly faced the invader for the final battle. 

**** 

"...And that's when we lost contact," Speedy explained. The Dark Knight didn't reply, he simply continued running a systems diagnostic. 

"Sir, there's nothing wrong with the equipment," Wonder Girl said quietly. "I've already checked it. Several times." 

Batman finally swung the command chair around and faced the others. GA, Speedy, and Wonder Girl waited for his reaction. 

"I'm going after them." 

GA burst into incredulous laughter. The two teens looked up at him in surprise. "Sorry, Bats, but you ain't going nowhere. Me'n my partner, here," he said indicating Speedy, *we're* going after 'em...You're staying here and finishing up the final prep job." 

Batman didn't reply. He just stood to his full height, looking even more grim. GA snorted. 

"And don't give me the big-bad Bat pose, either. You're weaker'n a sick kitten and you know it. If you go after the kid and GL, you'll get yourself and maybe them killed. What good'll that do, except maybe ease your conscience 'bout the kid being out here? And don't try to deny your feelings...I think I know what I'm talking about." He said the last with a mild sideways glance at Speedy. 

"Let's go, partner," GA said not taking his eyes off Batman. As he and Speedy turned to go, GA addressed Wonder Girl. "Little Princess, if the Bat even *tries* to follow us...sit on him." He gave her a rakish grin. "And you can take that as an order from a duly deputized member of the JLA." 

"Don't you think you should know where you're going first?" Batman asked. Speedy and GA paused, looking suspicious. "I traced an unknown energy source from the Forward Command Area to a new location in the ship's midsection...Where Kid Flash and Aqualad have been working." 

"You mean, where Kid Flash and Aqualad have been wiring the ship to blow," Speedy said. It was not a question. 

Batman nodded. GA and Speedy exchanged glances. 

"Terrific," Speedy said rolling his eyes. 

**** 

Kid Flash and Aqualad dematerialized as they were rounding a corner. A few moments later, they rematerialized in a strange, emerald world. 

"What happened?" Kid Flash asked. 

"Not again...!" Aqualad moaned. 

Their comlink beeped. Batman's icy voice came over it. 

"_Avenger_ to Kid Flash and Aqualad..." 

**** 

The Emerald Archers materialized in a land that seemed to have been made for them. Lush green met the eye as far as they could see. 

"Know something, kid?" GA asked. Speedy looked up him, his eyebrow quirked questioningly. "This is almost enough to make me hate the color." 

Speedy's mouth twitched. "Do you have any idea where we're supposed to--?" Beep beep beep... 

"_Avenger_ to GA." Batman's cold voice had never sounded so welcoming. 

**** 

Robin was fit to be tied. Or rather, he *was* tied, and he was having a fit. He struggled uselessly against his bonds. The emerald energy held him immobilized and seemed to increase the more he fought against it. 

Parallax! But different somehow. Robin wasn't entirely sure, but he felt that this wasn't the same Parallax they'd defeated before. Maybe he'd learned from his mistakes, but there seemed to be more than that. 

It didn't make any difference at the moment. Robin was tied-up, in a cage, suspended from a gallows. And insult to injury, scrolling banner headlines proclaimed: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!! 

This was followed by a Smiley Face. 

"Robin the Boy Hostage," he muttered in self-disgust. He gave his bond another frustrated tug, his biceps aching from the effort. When he and GL first appeared in this new green world, they'd been immediately ambushed. GL was knocked unconscious, and Robin disposed of in the most humiliating way possible--with one of the Joker's old tricks. 

"All I need now is for Batman to suddenly appear and rescue me." 

"Will *we* do?" 

Robin looked down. Kid Flash and Aqualad! They were standing beneath him on the gallows' platform. 

"Boy, am *I* glad to see you guys!" Robin hissed. "Do you have anything to counter the Ring energy? That Parallax-guy even removed my cape!" 

"Who's Parallax?" asked Kid Flash, giving Aqualad a boost up. The Atlantean studied the locking mechanism thoughtfully. 

"Parallax is GL's evil twin brother, Skippy," Robin said sharply. "Never mind that...get me out of here!" 

"Hold on," Aqualad said. "There--!" Aqualad said triumphantly, successfully opening the cage door. He soon climbed into the cage alongside Robin. "Kid Flash, be ready. When I untie Robin, the illusion is going to suddenly collapse." Kid Flash nodded in understanding. 

"What--?" Robin began. 

Suddenly, Robin's arms were free. As he flexed his biceps, the energy 'ropes' suddenly loosened and faded into nothingness. Simultaneously, the gallows disappeared as well, and the teen heroes found themselves falling. 

However, Kid Flash was ready, and immediately used his speed powers to work up a whirlwind, which softened their landing. 

Safely on the ground, Robin stretched, loosening the stiffness in his muscles. He looked at Aqualad curiously. "What'd you do, Aqualad? 'Wish' it all away? 'Cause I never wished harder for anything in my life, but *nothing* worked." 

Aqualad grinned and shook his head 'no.' "Unlike before, we are not in one of GL's mind-induced dreams. This is an Emerald Power Ring reality. Which means--" 

"--Which means that our physical laws are in full effect," Robin finished for him. Aqualad nodded. "So how *did* you manage to counter the Ring's energy?" 

Aqualad smiled and held up his golden 'A' belt buckle. "It 'sliced' through the cage's locking mechanism and through your bonds. The gold in the belt buckle negated the Ring's energy." 

Robin grinned, duly impressed. "Way cool!" He checked his own belt buckle. It, too, was gold. As the Titans moved off, he asked, "How'd you guys get here?" 

"Batman," Kid Flash explained. 

"Oh." Robin sighed. Even when Batman didn't actually rescue him, he had a hand in it. No wonder he'd always be just a kid in Batman's eyes. 

Their comlink began its signature beeping... 

**** 

"This way." GA spoke tersely. He read the JLA hand-held locater again. "According to ol' Grim and Grumpy, the highest concentration of energy emissions should be just over that ridge. Speedy nodded. Unlike before, he couldn't just 'wish' for some kind of magical transport. He and GA had to actually *walk* to where they needed to go... 

**** 

"There it is," Robin said, pointing. Ahead of them was a scene straight out of _The Wizard of Oz_. Grinning he looked at Aqualad. "I guess we're *really* not in--" 

"*Please* don't say--" 

"Kansas anymore!" Robin and Kid Flash finished together. 

"--it!" Aqualad hit his forehead with the heel of his palm. Before them lay an exact duplicate of the Emerald City. At any moment, the boys expected to see Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. 

Instead of red poppies, however, fields of jade flowers, dancing in the soft green sunshine and warm spring breeze, carpeted the grounds to the farthest horizon. 

"There's gotta be a zillion of 'em," Kid Flash said awed. "Like stars in the Milky Way." The others looked at him in mild surprise. He returned their look in embarrassment, his face turning slightly red. He shrugged. Spotting movement along the skyline where the ridge of deep green poppies met the lighter green of the sky, he pointed. "Look! We've got company!" 

He waved. The two figures--Speedy and Green Arrow--waved back. 

**** 

"They've rendezvoused," Batman said. "You know what to do." Wonder Girl nodded, a bit timidly. 

"Yes, sir," she said with a confidence she didn't feel. Batman didn't say anything. Wonder Girl took that as a dismissal and moved to her new post at the _Avenger's_ weapons console. 

**** 

"Atom! On your tail!" the Flash warned. "Roll Right!" 

Atom spun his cruiser to port. The space he'd just been occupying filled with the deadly particle beams as his teammates fired at the approaching enemy vessel. The alien erupted in a mini-nova. 

**** 

"Best way is a two-pronged attack," GA surmised. "Speedy and me, we go in the back way, you Titans take the direct route." He turned to go. No one moved. The others were all looked at Robin, who stood with his arms crossed in a defiant pose. 

GA turned back. He gazed curiously at the young hero. "Do you have a better idea?" 

"Yes, sir," Robin said simply. 

GA was about ready to say something, when he caught Speedy's narrowed eyes. His junior partner was studying him silently. GA's next words would be critical, he suddenly knew. He felt momentarily at a loss. He didn't want to lose Speedy's respect so shortly after he'd gotten it back. What approach to take? 

Taking a deep breath, he threw caution to the wind and nodded at Robin. 

"I'm listening, kid." As Robin began to explain his plan, GA risked a glance at Speedy. His young protege's small, satisfied smile gave GA a warm feeling... 

**** 

"This isn't some fevered dream," GL said. He was once again shackled to the hated apparatus. "You're real. But how--?" 

Parallax grinned. 

"You, my emerald friend. You made me...oh, not you, personally. It was quite accidental, mind you. I admit that I took this form based on your own subconscious fears." He paused. "I suppose that if it were the Dark One strapped there at this moment, I might've taken the form of his father...or better, yet, his mother." Parallax laughed. 

"You biological life-forms are quite fascinating: You exhibit a powerful drive to succeed, to keep going, to win at all costs. Yet, there is a certain weakness within you. A desire to 'play fair'. You are nothing at all like my builders. You're *much* more unpredictable!" 

GL was shocked. "What--? You mean you're the alien ship's Artificial Intelligence? The program we downloaded into your system...it *gave* you sentience...free will?" 

Parallax nodded, his grin broadening even further. 

Abruptly, his face darkened. "I *should* have been able to destroy you long before now, but you keep countering my efforts with highly illogical moves--" 

"You mean 'unexpected'!" GL taunted. "Even with sentience and free will, you haven't the slightest idea how to use it to its greatest advantage. You're so used to remaining within the given parameters of your programming that you're incapable of more than two-dimensional thinking. And despite what you think...we *will* succeed!" 

Parallax chortled in amazement. "You *are* fascinating creatures. I almost wish I had the curiosity to study your race further. But I don't have the time. I've universes to conquer and inferior races to subjugate. And with *this*--" He held out GL's Power Ring. It was held in a stasis field within Parallax's own green beam. "--The outcome is a foregone conclusion." 

He shook his head in disbelief. 

"So much power...The very energies of creation itself are imbedded within this outwardly unremarkable bauble...Yet, you do not utilize it for personal gain. Instead, you hold back on its abilities, barely tapping into its full potential. I'm afraid that this inherent weakness of your race will bring about your eventual downfall. I can't believe that you actually *gave* me *sentience* in order to 'Talk'!" 

Outraged, GL shouted, "And this is how you use such a gift? By destroying?" 

"Of course!" Parallax said laughing. "*Peace*? My race does not know such concepts. What *rubbish*! The NUL^~HT+N don't barter for *peace*. The only peaceful race is a dead race. And I assure you that the Krghlm and many others have discovered this." 

"But, the Krghlm were a race of space-faring pirates. They destroyed countless numbers of the early races. Legends talk about another race that went to war with them for over a millennia...to stop their incessant trail of death. I don't understand. If your race fought to stop the Krghlm, why are you following in their bloody footsteps?" 

Parallax burst into laughter at GL's tale. 

"The NUL^~HT+N did not war against the Krghlm in order to bring peace to the early races. We fought for the position of predominance over the lesser civilizations. The Krghlm were the only peoples with the technology and desire to conquer others...the same as we. Naturally, we couldn't stand by and allow them to pillage the very star systems that we ourselves wished to conquer." 

He smiled. GL felt a cold chill shoot down his spine. 

"Once the Krghlm were destroyed, the universe was ours for the taking. On occasion we'd discover a new race we'd never encountered before and we'd send it a test message. If we did not receive the proper response, we'd automatically destroy it." 

"But why? If the new race wasn't Krghlm, or had never heard of your war, why destroy them? Why not make friends?" 

Parallax laughed at the absurdity of the thought. "Friends? We do not make friends with inferior races. We take! We conquer! And if the whim should strike us, we annihilate." He shrugged. "Why run the risk of angering a young race that may later develop the technology to destroy us in some distant future? Better to rid the universe of...undesirables." 

GL shook his head. The enormity of what they'd done, in their desire to 'Play Fair,' had finally sunk in. They'd released an even greater horror than what they'd faced before. 

**** 

Robin and Speedy moved stealthily through the endlessly green corridors. The green hue throughout the Emerald City was the same throughout. The boys found themselves narrowly missing tables, chairs and other furnishings. 

"It's like being inside a giant green camouflage tent! Everything's blending together!" Speedy complained. "I'm getting all cross-eyed." 

Robin grinned. He knew exactly what Speedy was going through. "I thought that 'green' was you Arrow-guys' favorite color." 

Speedy's grin matched Robin. "If I never see the color again, it'll be too soon!" 

Both youngsters let out boyish snickers. "Maybe GA will change over to gold or something," Robin opined. 

"Yeah, I can it now," Speedy said. "Yellow Arrow! Won't exactly strike fear in the hearts of criminals." He paused. "Not that GA's all that fearsome now, but he *does* have his moments--" 

Robin held up a hand for quiet. He studied his handheld locator. He nodded at Speedy. This was it... 

**** 

Superman moved at speeds that even he had never achieved before. One second he was near Mars' two moons, the next instant, he was on the other side of the sun, melting yet another scout's warp engines into slag. 

He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to continue. He'd been fighting for what seemed like ages. He was growing exhausted. 

And if *he* were tiring, then what of the others--? 

**** 

Aquaman anticipated Wonder Woman's next move. As she spun their cruiser 'down' on the z-axis, he instantly set the weapons to a 360 degree firing pattern that took out any pursuers. 

Wonder Woman and Aquaman were now a veteran team. They'd been working together since the start of the battle, and experience had honed their skills. 

"Great shooting, Arthur!" Wonder Woman yelled. 

"Nice flying, Diana," he said, returning the compliment. 

**** 

"Barry! We're hit! We're hit!" Black Canary cried. 

"Losing atmosphere," the Flash's voice calmly reported. "Hull integrity at forty percent. Remember the drill, BC...mask first, then exo-suit." He was beside her in an instant, already suited. He quickly assisted BC in donning hers. 

"Barry!" the Atom's worried voice came over the open channel. 

"We're okay, buddy," the Flash responded. "Just taking some extra-precautions. We've lost life support...care to take on some hitchhikers?" 

"Depends...what's your destination?" 

"Why same as yours, Ray," the Flash said good-humoredly. "Didn't I read somewhere that the road paved with good intentions leads to Hell?" 

"..." They heard a choking sound from the other end. "Funny guy," Atom said ironically. "Get ready for transport, before I change my mind." 

**** 

"You'll never get away with this," GL said calmly. "Even if you kill me, the others--" 

"--The others are *nothing*!" Parallax scoffed. "I will defeat them shortly." 

"Oh, really?" GL's eyes lit in amusement. "You haven't exactly defeated them, yet. That's hardly 'nothing'." 

Parallax scowled thunderously. In fury, he pressed a button on the torture apparatus and held it down. 

GL felt his head explode in piercing, blinding agony. In the background, he could hear Parallax roaring in outrage. The knife-like pain in his head blocked most of his evil twin's megalomaniacal rantings, but GL heard enough to strive to retain consciousness. 

"Temerity...sub-races...exist only to be exploited...conquered...!" 

Long before Parallax finally released the button, GL lost his personal battle and blacked out from the ordeal. 

**** 

"Robin to GA." 

"GA, here. How's it going kid?" 

"We're in. Robin out." 

GA stared at the comlink. "Just like his old man," he muttered. "Let's go, boys. Can't be the cavalry if we don't arrive in the nick of time." 

"Huh?" Kid Flash and Aqualad gave him blank looks. GA ignored them, studying the handheld locator. The readings were indeterminate. They faced what appeared to be an endless number of corridors, with an infinite number of closed doors. He sighed. 

"Never mind," GA said, shaking his head. "Kid Flash, I need you to recon up ahead. Find out--" 

"--All clear," Kid Flash reported. GA spun around in surprise. "All the rooms are empty," Kid Flash continued. "Just green." 

GA closed his eyes. Just like the Flash. All speed. No brain. Well...maybe that wasn't a fair assessment, but still. 

"Thanks, Kid," GA mumbled. "Come on, let's go." 

**** 

"Where are we?" Speedy asked. 

"The Auxiliary Command Center," Robin said moving to the nearest command console. "Robin to _Avenger_..." 

"_Avenger, here," Batman responded. 

"We're in, Batman," Robin said. "I've powered up the ACC. All systems are now online." 

"Good work, chum," Batman said. "I'm transmitting the data...Now!" 

**** 

"Y-you c-can do wh-what y-you w-want with me," GL whispered, swallowing against the dryness in his throat. "B-but w-we...w-we'll *never* s-s-sur-render..." 

"You *don't get it*!" Parallax guffawed. "I don't *want* you to surrender! I want to *destroy* you!" He threw his head back and began to laugh. A cold, evil laugh that filled GL with dark despair. 

This was *his* fault. He was the one who'd pushed for a dialogue. Who didn't want to arbitrarily destroy the alien vessel. He had to do something. 

He couldn't...He *wouldn't* stand by and watch Parallax destroy the Earth. 

*His* planet. *His* space sector. *His* responsibility. 

An alien invader destroy *Earth*? 

Not on *his* watch! 

Gathering every ounce of strength he had left, GL began to concentrate on the 'outwardly unremarkable bauble' hanging in midair in an emerald stasis field. 

**** 

"Stop!" 

GA and Kid Flash braked to a halt. Both turned to look curiously at Aqualad. 

"In here," he said, pointing behind a set of double doors. GA quirked an eyebrow. He checked his locator once more. 

"Listen, kid, according to my readings--" 

"Your instrument is incorrect...the Emerald energy...it pulsates from behind these doors." 

GA and Kid Flash exchanged a look. Kid Flash shrugged. "He *is* an esper. *And* he's had experience with GL's energy readings. Maybe your locator's wrong?" 

"Okay, Aqualad," GA agreed. "What do you have, kid?" 

At that moment, Aqualad's face suddenly grimaced in severe pain. "GL...he's in trouble...in *pain*! So much *pain*!" 

**** 

"_Avenger_, this is Robin!" 

"_Avenger, here." Batman answered instantly, as if he'd been waiting for the call. 

"We're done here, Batman. We're going to rendezvous with the others." 

"Understand, Robin. Watch for the signal." Batman paused and then added, "Good luck, son." 

"Thank you, sir...Robin out." 

"And just what *did* we do, Bird-boy?" Speedy asked. 

Robin grinned. "We just gave the ship the beginnings of a severe nervous breakdown." 

"Huh?" 

The boys started heading out at a run. 

"The data that Batman just transmitted? It's a virus program," Robin explained. "It's ordering the ship's primary systems to determine the value of Pi to the last decimal point, and to consider all other current command programs as secondary. Soon, the ship's going to start shutting down all nonessential operations in order to solve the problem. Before long--" 

"--Before long, more systems will start shutting down, to include essential systems because the virus has tagged them as 'secondary'!" Speedy interrupted, understanding dawning in his eyes. 

Robin nodded, letting Speedy work out the possibilities on his own. 

"And, because Pi has a non-repeating value which goes on to infinity--" Speedy continued. 

"--Hey, you've been paying attention in school." Robin looked proudly at his friend. 

"Yeah, the one or two times I've attended," Speedy said with a slight grin, then concluded. "The virus program has given the ship an unsolvable problem. If it works and the ship begins to concentrate all of its computing power to solving it--!" He looked at Robin with respect. 

"But how do we know the ship's AI won't find out what we're doing and somehow stop the virus program from taking over the ship's entire system?" Speedy asked. 

"The virus is a command level program that'll work below the AI's consciousness. Like our handshake program. Remember?" Speedy nodded. "The AI should remain completely unaware of what's going on underneath its electronic 'nose.' Or at least, that's the plan." 

"And if it doesn't work?" Speedy asked. 

"Then we go to Plan B." "And what's Plan B?" 

"Don't know yet." 

Speedy stared at Robin. Robin shrugged defensively. 

"I *working* on it!" 

**** 

After Robin cut the comlink, Batman sat still for a couple of seconds. Without preamble, he began powering up the _Avenger_. 

"Strap in," he ordered. Wonder Girl nodded. "Ready weapons," Batman uttered. 

"Weapons ready," Wonder Girl replied. 

Batman watched his readings carefully. When the warp engines came online, he punched it! 

**** 

"Whooee, Mighty Mite!" Black Canary shouted. "That there's some fancy flyin'! Now hold her steady while I let 'em feel some of our 'hot lead'!" 

"Any time, BC," the Atom responded. 

"Watch westerns much, Dinah?" the Flash asked dryly. 

"Dad was a real Wild West buff," BC answered, taking out two of the enemy, and then centering her crosshairs on yet another. "Funny, Dad never set foot outside of New York City and wouldn't've known what to do with a horse if he'd seen one." 

BC smiled nostalgically as she laid waste to three more of the alien ships. (The Flash privately thought her smile looked frighteningly ferocious as she gleefully dispatched the enemy. He shuddered inwardly.) 

"On weekends, if Dad wasn't busy on a case, or if we weren't training at the local gym, we'd sit and watch Saturday afternoon westerns on TV--" 

"Atom! Everybody!" Wonder Woman's voice interrupted. "Look at your long range monitors. Something's happening...Can you make it out?" 

"Just a sec, Diana," the Atom said. "I'm not sure...Barry, what do you think?" 

"Well I'll be a dirty name," the Flash said, awed. "Little buddy, they seem to be..." 

"...*Turning on each other*!!!" they finished together. 

"No!" Superman's voice cut in. "They're slamming into each other. They're moving erratically, almost out of control. They seem to have lost their inertial stablizers, or--" 

"--Or perhaps they've lost contact with the Mother Ship?" the Atom mused. 

"What the hell's going on?" the Flash asked no one in particular. 

"The *others*!" BC cried excitedly. "They're okay! They *did* this! Somehow, they've turned the armada...! Yeeeeeehhaaaaaww! Boys and girls, everything's gonna be all right!" 

"Come on, JLA!" the Flash yelled. "Let's go kick some alien booty!" 

"I'm with you, buddy!" the Atom readily responded. 

**** 

Aqualad collapsed where he'd stood. 

"Garth!" Kid Flash was instantly at his friend's side. Aqualad's violet eyes fluttered open. 

"GL's in agony," he whispered. "Leave me. Hurry...I will be all right." He closed his eyes again. 

Kid Flash's jaws worked in anger. His friends were in pain. And whoever was causing it was behind those doors. Without thinking, the junior speedster began to vibrate at supersonic speeds. Reaching a vibrating speed on a harmonic level to the emerald energy-induced doorways, he launched himself through the doors. 

"Kid Flash...No!" shouted GA. Too late! The junior speedster zipped at superspeed through the energy doors. 

GA hurried to the locked doors. Great! Another teenager who ignored his orders. "I get no respect," he muttered. He took out a special metallic sliver with a serrated edge. As he put it carefully in the keyhole, the emerald light reflected off of it, a gold skeleton key. 

"Bats, I'll never say anything about you again!" He grinned. "Well, hardly ever." 

**** 

He was swimming in a green ocean. Everywhere he looked he was surrounded by the strange emerald sea. 

"~Aquaman!~" he mind-called. "~Mera!~" 

There was no answer. He swam on in the green, murky waters. 

In the distance he saw a lighter, glowing green. Almost like a light at the end of an underwater tunnel. He swam towards it... 

**** 

GL found himself in a strange world of violets, lavenders, and purples. Where was he? 

He checked his ring finger. Gone! He felt a momentary panic, which passed quickly. The ring was nearby. He could *feel* its energy. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the ring, and *drew* from its power. He felt himself physically grow stronger, revived. 

He opened his eyes and looked around again. *Thinking* about the ring, he *willed* himself to rise up, and before long, he was flying a reconnaissance mission through the lavender land... 

**** 

As Aqualad approached the green glow, he squinted against the brightness. Using his hands to shade his eyes, he finally made out a figure in the middle of the emerald luminescence. His eyes widened. 

"~Green Lantern!~" he cried. He swam towards the Emerald Knight. GL was enclosed in a soft, protective emerald aura. "~GL, what are you *doing* here?~" 

GL floated face down, his eyes closed. "~GL--! GL--! Wake up! Please!~" 

**** 

He heard someone calling him. 

"~GL--! GL--! Wake up! Please!~" 

"~Wake up?~" he asked. "~What do you *think* I am? Asleep?~" Nevertheless, GL opened his eyes and felt like he'd just awakened. 

A glowing violet figure stood before him. "~GL! Can you see me?~" GL shaded his eyes. 

"~Just barely. Who are you? The Phantom?~" GL referred to a childhood comic book hero. 

"~...?~" 

"~Never mind. Who are you?~" 

"~Aqualad.~" 

"~Of course. That would explain the mind-speak,~" GL said, realization dawning. "~Why are you...purple?~" 

"~Is that how you perceive me?~" 

GL nodded. Aqualad sent a mental shrug. "~I do not know. Speedy said the same thing...All I know is that sometimes, I wake at night, and I know that I've been dreaming of purples and violets...and, remember the strange violet energy beams that I called forth when I was forced to fight you while you were unconscious, and endangering the _Avenger_?~" 

GL nodded. 

"~Whatever it is~," Aqualad continued, "~I do not understand it.~" 

GL concentrated on the boy. He sent out a mental tendril and gently *touched* Aqualad's violet essence. 

"~Yeowch!~" he yelped in surprise. "~What was *that*?~" At GL's touch, Aqualad's true form suddenly appeared before him. The teen's strange, violet eyes were wide with shock. GL moved closer to the youthful Atlantean, studying him closely. 

"Son, your personal aura...your purple shield, for want of a better word...It's comprised of powerful energies...I sense strange energy patterns emanating from you.~" GL shook his head in awe. "~I've never seen anything like it!~" 

Aqualad stared with uncomprehending eyes. "~I don't know what you're talking about, GL. Honestly.~" 

GL nodded sagely. "~Son, listen to me. Somewhere inside of you is a nascent power struggling to get out. A power that even now is building in strength. I don't know what it is, but if you defeated me once before, even in my dreams, then it has to be incredibly powerful.~" 

GL's soft brown eyes steadily held Aqualad's violet ones. "~I think, Aqualad, that this power of yours has just become our secret weapon.~" 

**** 

GA was disgusted with himself. He'd been immobilized as soon as he'd entered. Kid Flash and GL were both unconscious and held prisoner on an apparatus similar to the one from which they'd rescued Batman. 

And similar to the one that held him now. He tugged uselessly at his shackles. 

"Great! It's not even green. The first thing I've seen that's *real* and I wish it were all a dream." 

"Cheer up, Green Arrow," Parallax roared. "It will soon be your worst nightmare!" He pressed a button. 

GA screamed in pain. 

**** "GA!" Speedy yelled. They'd heard the blood-curdling scream coming from down the main corridor. They poured on the speed. 

"Speedy! Hold up!" Robin hissed when they reached the spot from where they'd heard the screams. Using hand signals, Robin indicated that he wanted Speedy to stand to the side. He tried the door handle. Locked. 

Removing his belt buckle from his utility belt, he threw it at the door. As soon as the gold buckle hit the green energy doors, they disintegrated before the boys' eyes. 

"Go!" Robin shouted. 

**** 

When the warp engines fired inside the enclosed space of the giant cargo bay, several things happened: 

First, real time space 'warped' inside the bay, causing the space to implode. The interior of the bay collapsed in on itself, the bulkheads crumbling. The support I-beams that Wonder Girl used earlier as a baseball bat crumpled. 

Second, with the inside of the bay imploding in on itself, the giant bay doors, unable to withstand the impossible pressures to which they were suddenly being subjected, blew outwardly. 

Third, when the bay doors opened, Batman shut the warp engines, and transferred to the sub-light impeller drive. He hit the forward thrusters, and the _Avenger_ escaped from its alien prison. 

Less than five seconds passed from the moment he fired the warp engines, to the moment the _Avenger_ escaped. "Ready?" he asked. 

"Ready!" Wonder Girl replied. 

"*Fire*!!" 

**** 

Speedy and Robin entered the room at a full run. Experience is a great teacher. Without breaking stride, Robin grabbed Speedy's yellow cap, snapped it to a Batarang, and leaping high, he threw it directly at Parallax's chest... 

**** 

GL tightly gripped Aqualad's hand in his own. "~You must *trust* me, son. Open your mind to me...open your mind...~" 

"~Trust you~," Aqualad whispered. "~Trust you...~" 

Completely relaxed and trusting Green Lantern, Aqualad dropped his mind shields and left himself totally open to the Emerald Warrior's far more disciplined and powerful will. 

"~Together...Violet and Green energies...concentrate, son...concentrate...~" 

"~Together...concentrate...violet and green...~" repeated Aqualad. 

**** 

"Speedy!" Robin called. "Watch!" He whipped out three Batarangs and whirled them at the apparatuses' control panels. Knowing immediately what he had to do, Speedy fired off explosive arrow after explosive arrow. Within seconds, only smoke and sparks remained of the complicated electronics. 

With the brains of the torture machines gone, first GA, then Kid Flash regained consciousness. Speedy saw that Kid Flash couldn't vibrate free from his shackles. He fired off four specially tipped arrows. 

The arrowheads were actually suction cups. When they struck Kid Flash's wristbands, they adhered themselves to each. Before Kid Flash knew what was happening, the suction cups began to hiss and a special acid started eating its way through the bands. Kid Flash's eyes widened. He'd have to move at superspeed to avoid being burned. 

Meanwhile, Robin leaped onto GA's machine with his pen-laser and quickly freed him. "Let's go, GA!" Robin urged. 

"You little fool," Parallax shouted in outrage. "You should've remained where I left you. You defeated my plans once before, but not again!" He turned the full brunt of his powerful Emerald beam at the fleeing heroes. 

Dodging Parallax's deadly beam, Robin's eye caught something gold glittering on the floor. He quickly executed a series of complicated handsprings, spins, and leaps. In a final desperate move, Robin rolled towards the object, grabbed it, and came up throwing...! 

**** 

"~Now, Aqualad!~" 

Aqualad's violent purple energies enhanced with GL's powerful will focused on the Emerald Power Ring suspended in stasis in midair... 

**** 

The ship worked feverishly on solving the equation that had been set before it. It needed more operating power and thus began shutting down 'nonessential' systems. Throughout the ship, hatches began slamming shut, cutting off entire sections of the ship from others. 

Soon, the ship began shutting life support systems in areas that were unoccupied. Next, it began diverting essential systems from their primary function of fighting a war. The Fire Acquisition Center began to add its powerful computing power to solving the unsolvable problem set before it. 

The ship's engine room computers began shutting down the 'nonessential' programs needed to operate the ship's massive warp core... 

**** 

Parallax felt something small strike his chest. He suddenly felt like one of the biological life-forms he'd scoffed at earlier who were having a heart attack. 

He looked at his chest. Embedded in his Lantern emblem was a small, gold belt buckle. The emerald surroundings began phasing in and out. Parallax finally realized that the ship's systems were being tied up with an impossible task. He 'felt' a momentary confusion. What was happening? 

"Illogical! Illogical! I am the superior construct--!" 

Parallax felt his knees begin to give way... 

**** 

A sudden flash of purple energy overwhelmed the weak remains of the Emerald energy illusion. 

Time slowed. 

The Emerald City began to lose definition around the heroes. It continued to phase erratically in and out around them. And Parallax appeared to be *melting*! 

"Like the Wicked Witch," Robin muttered softly. Soon, they found themselves in the same giant bay from which they'd rescued Batman earlier. Except for the torture apparatuses, it was empty. 

Furthermore, the emerald energy had been replaced with a soft lavender glow. 

"It must've all been some kind of elaborate illusion," Speedy said. As he spoke, the purple haze slowly faded, as well. 

GL's ring broke free from its prison, and flew straight towards its master's ring finger. 

As soon as it settled in, Green Lantern's eyes fluttered open. 

"No," whispered Parallax. "I am the superior construct. I am eternal. You cannot defeat me." There was almost nothing left of him. 

"*Can't* isn't in my vocabulary," GL said grimly. 

**** 

GL's ring encompassed them all within its protective energy. Aqualad was still unconscious. So far, he'd been the only casualty. 

Robin's comlink beeped. The signal! 

"Now!" he called. GL nodded and they all immediately flew up and through the massive ship's numerous bulkheads until they reached the dark silence of space. 

Robin and the Titans looked around in awe. He couldn't believe that they were outside in the vacuum of space with only GL's power ring for protection. GL flew them at incredible rates, reaching near sub-light speed. But within the protective cocoon of the Emerald atmosphere bubble, they were snug and warm. 

Finally, they spotted it! The _Avenger_! No, not the _Avenger_, but one just like her! It was the JLA cruiser that Batman and GA had used to get out here. Robin had completely forgotten about it! 

But where was the _Avenger_? As if in anticipation of his question, GL pointed starboard. There! The _Avenger_! But what was she doing? The ship was on a collision course with the alien. More than a collision course, Robin realized. She was on full ramming speed! 

"Batman--!" he cried. 

But they'd already entered the second JLA cruiser, slipping in through the bulkheads as if they didn't exist... 

**** 

Robin ran into the command center. Wonder Girl was at weapons. And sitting in the command seat-- 

"Batman!" he cried. It was a shout of pure joy. Batman pointed at the co- pilot's seat by way of acknowledgement. Robin quickly strapped himself in, and began calling out readings. 

"Get everyone strapped in," Batman ordered. 

"Roger! Robin to all hands! Strap in, everybody! We're going to warp in..." He checked the engine countdown. "...fifteen seconds!" He waited to the count of ten, then counted down... 

"...Three...two..." 

As Robin called out 'two', Batman called out, "Now!" and Wonder Girl punched a switch on her console. 

"...One!" 

At 'one', the pilotless _Avenger_ entered one of the many open bays that the alien ship had so conveniently provided for her. As the JLA cruiser's warp engines came online, Robin saw a series of violent explosions erupting from inside the open bay that the _Avenger_ had entered. 

Robin knew immediately that the _Avenger's_ warp core must have been set to overload. He felt a momentary twinge at the loss of 'his' ship. 

Further down the alien's midsection, another series of explosions began ripping her apart from the inside. The gel-charges that Kid Flash and Aqualad had set earlier! Wonder Girl must have set them of remotely from her weapons console. 

As the JLA cruiser went into warp, Robin caught sight of the giant alien listing to starboard, explosion after explosion tearing her hull in thousands of places... 

**** 

They hovered one AU from the alien to ensure its total destruction. Finally, when its enormous warp core breached and reached overload, the heroes witnessed the end of the Last of the NUL^~HT+N. 

The Milky Way Galaxy's edge became the momentary celestial home of a blazing nova. 

The Titans watched in awe. They were drawn, yet appalled by the destructive forces that had been released. 

"What a waste," Robin said at last. 

"Yeah," Speedy agreed. 

"I don't get it," added Kid Flash. "If GL offered it friendship, why would it choose war instead?" 

Aqualad shook his head, and Wonder Girl shrugged her shoulders. Clearly, the youngsters couldn't understand. 

"I'm afraid that we'll probably never be able to fully explain it," GL said. "But as long as youngsters such as yourselves can question something as senseless as this and try to seek answers, then I believe that the Earth will always be in good hands." 

The Titans looked at GL, then at one another. Without another word, they all turned back to view the new, temporary star... 

**** 

Epilogue 

"I tell you, kid, things are going to be different...you just wait and see!" Green Arrow slapped Speedy on the back. They were all inside the JLA satellite's docking bay, waiting for the "Green light" announcing equalized pressurization. 

Speedy nodded and smiled a bit uncertainly. He'd heard this before. But maybe this time. 

GA was still talking. "And we'll have to talk about a curfew...and I mean a *real* curfew. It's not right for a kid your age to be running around at all hours of the night...!" 

Speedy looked over at Batman and Robin. The Dark Knight and his protege were talking quietly. Batman was probably discussing how they could've saved the universe a little bit more efficiently, for the next time the Earth was invaded, Speedy thought ironically. But even from where he stood, Speedy could see the quiet rapport between the Caped Crusaders. 

"And school," GA continued. "We're gonna see about hiring a tutor, or something, to try and get those grades up...I mean maybe *I* was thrown out of some of the best schools in Europe when *I* was a kid, but it's not exactly something I'm all that proud of..." 

Robin caught Speedy's eye and gave him an encouraging smile. Speedy smiled back. Bird-boy was all right. A real friend. 

"And no more unsupervised absences...We're partners, after all! From here on in, it'll be just you'n me, kid! Green Arrow and Speedy!" 

The green light finally came on. 

As the safety hatch opened, they were greeted by the smiling face of Black Canary. 

"Ollie!" she cried, running into GA's arms. "I'm so happy to see you again! Oh, you don't know how worried I've been. Ollie if you *ever* do something like this again, I'll break every bone in your body!" The threat in her voice was real. 

"Dinah...honey...let me explain," GA began, slowly backing off. 

Speedy stood to the side, feeling uncomfortable. The old feeling of being left out began to overwhelm him again. 

Sure, things were *so* going to be different, he thought. He felt a hand on his shoulder. His heart leaped. Ollie, he thought! He looked up into the warm brown eyes of Green Lantern. 

"Thank you for saving my life, Speedy. I'll never forget it. Anytime you need anything...even if it's just to talk, I'm here for you." He handed Speedy a card. "Call me...day or night." 

Speedy watched GL walk away. He thought about throwing away Hal Jordan's business card, but in the end, he kept it. 

"Red," BC's quiet voice spoke behind him. He stiffened at the sound, but didn't turn. "Please, Red...I want us so much to be friends. Red, I love Ollie, too. Please...?" Speedy heard the quiet sincerity in her voice. Blinking rapidly, he finally nodded. 

No matter what Ollie said, he knew that it would never be just the two of them any more. 

"Sure, Pretty Bird," he said with false bravado. "We'll be one, big happy family...just the three of us..." 

"Roy...hey, kid," GA began, but Speedy began moving away. 

"I've gotta go check on something with, uh, Robin," he said, glancing back. GA and BC stood together at the end of corridor, watching helplessly as he hurried away. "Robbie, uh, mentioned something about a, uh, meeting at the Lair later this month!" 

**** 

"Robbie, guess what?" Kid Flash stood between Batman and Robin in a blink. The Dynamic Duo actually looked startled at his sudden appearance. "Uncle Barry says that I can come and stay with him and Aunt Iris over Spring Break. If you're not doing nothing, maybe you could come?" 

Robin looked meaningfully over Kid Flash's shoulder at Batman, who was standing behind the junior speedster. Kid Flash stiffened, finally noticing the menacing presence of the Dark Knight. He turned sheepishly and shyly addressed Batman. 

"That is...if it's okay with *you*, sir..." The teen speedster's voice ended in a tiny squeak. 

Batman floored them both by giving Kid Flash a half-smile. 

"Secret identities not withstanding, I'm sure we can work something out." He turned without further word. The two boys high-fived each other in their excitement. 

"Way *cool*, Robbie! Come on! Let's go tell Uncle Barry!" 

**** 

"That was very generous of you, Bruce," Superman said. They were both alone in the JLA lounge. 

Batman didn't turn from the panoramic view of the Earth spinning below. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke. 

"Dick needs his friends. Wally is a good boy, brave and loyal. I think they'll both be good for each other." 

"Is that the only reason?" Superman asked. 

"No," Batman admitted quietly. "I've learned that we're not alone here. One man can't do it all." He paused. Superman didn't say anything; he knew what it was taking for Batman to openly admit this. 

"We all needed each other while we were out there. More than anything, I discovered how much I need my boy by my side...I can't deny his place in my life...nor can I deny the importance of his friends in his. As much as Batman needs Robin...Robin needs the Titans." 

Batman looked up. He held Superman's eyes steadily. 

"And I can't deny the importance of *my* friends, either." 

Superman's eyes smiled warmly. Neither man said anything further. Nothing further needed to be said. 

**** 

"Promise to call me?" Wonder Girl asked tentatively. She was worried about Speedy. He seemed *too* happy. 

"Of course, Wonder Doll!" Speedy assured her. "But, I'm probably gonna be kinda busy. See Ollie's setting some new rules and all. I'll probably be forced to *do* my homework from now on! He also said something about a 'bedtime'! Can you b'lieve that?" 

He laughed, a bit too brightly. 

"Roy, something's wrong...I *know* it! What *is* it?" 

"*Wrong*? What could possibly be wrong, Donna? I mean, Ollie, me, and Dinah...we're gonna be one big, happy family! You'll see!" 

"Dinah's moving in with you?" Wonder Girl asked quietly. Speedy nodded, smiling. 

"Yeah, isn't that great?" 

Wonder Girl looked sadly at the boy of her heart. "I'm sorry, Roy. I know how much you wanted--" 

"--Are you kidding, Wonder Doll?" Speedy interrupted. "Things are gonna be great!" He started walking away. "Look, kid, I'll give you a call! Tomorrow at the latest! I promise! Hey, fly safely!" 

He waved and spinning around, he started jogging, disappearing around the bend in the corridor. 

Wonder Girl felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up into her sister's understanding eyes. Feeling her heart breaking, Wonder Girl threw her arms around Wonder Woman. 

"There, there, little one," Wonder Woman soothed. "Let's go home. Mother impatiently awaits our return." 

**** 

"I shall have our scientists investigate this new, strange ability of yours, Minnow," Aquaman was saying. "I promise you that we shall discover what this remarkable power is--" 

"No!" Aqualad cried. "I don't need any doctors or scientists poking and prodding me! I won't sit still for it!" 

"Watch your tongue, boy!" Aquaman roared. "Remember whom you address!" 

Aqualad's normally gentle eyes burned in anger. 

"I *thought* I was addressing my mentor...*and* my foster father! Apparently, as always, I was mistaken." 

"Minnow, I didn't mean--" 

"*No*! You *did* mean it! I'm as nothing to you! Just another loyal vassal to the King! Well, no more! I am *myself*! And I have certain rights...rights that even a King cannot take." Aqualad spoke with a deadly fierceness that Aquaman had never heard before. 

"Garth, that is not true! You are my foster son...in name and in my heart. You are as much my son as Arthur, Junior." 

Aqualad sadly shook his head. "If I could but believe that, my liege." He faced his King. "I swore my loyalty and fealty to you when you first found me, alone and discarded. I stand by my oath to you, Arthur...and on my honor, I shall never betray you or your progeny." He walked up to his King and met him eye to eye. 

"But I am my own person. I do not understand this power that grows within me, but it is *mine*...it is a part of me, of my unknown heritage. I do not know if I shall ever be able to call it forth again, or if it is something that manifests itself only in times of great stress. Whatever it is, I demand the right of self-discovery...the right to explore it on my own, without your scientists' interference." 

His eyes became pleading. "Please, Arthur. Allow me this one thing...and I swear on my honor that should I ever learn to control it, this power will never be turned against you or the people of Atlantis." 

Aquaman placed his hand on his young protege's shoulder. 

"Minnow...you need not swear oaths to me. You are the son of my heart. I *know* that you would never turn against our people or me. In you, I have only faith and trust." 

Aqualad felt his chest tighten. As he looked up his mentor, his soft, violet eyes spoke for him. 

**** 

"So dinner on Saturday, Barry?" 

"Yeah, Ray," the Flash said. "Iris is really excited about this. You're *sure* you want to ask Jeanne with us there? I mean proposing to the girl of your dreams is something normally done at an expensive restaurant with a candlelight dinner." 

"I can't think of two people I'd rather have there than you and Iris," the Atom said quietly. "I've put this off for way too long...I've been afraid about bringing Jeanne into my crazy, mixed-up, superpowered life. But now..." 

"What made you change your mind?" the Flash asked curiously. They were interrupted by Kid Flash and Robin stumbling into the gleaming JLA labs. 

"UncleBarry!You'renotgonnabelievethis!BatmansaidokayandRobbiecancomeoverduringS pringBreak!Isn'tthatgreat?" Unable to contain his excitement, Kid Flash speed- talked. The two JLA'ers smiled at the boy's exuberance. 

"That *is* good news, Wally," the Flash said. "Robin, I'll look forward to your visit...Tell me, son, do you know how to fly fish?" 

Robin shook his head. "No, sir. I've never been fishing in my whole life." 

"Fishing?! Aw, jeez, Uncle Barry! Not fishing *again*. Robbie's a city boy...he'll be bored to tears." 

"Are you kidding, Flasheroo?" Robin said, giving his friend a slight shove. "I think it sounds great. Doctor Allen, I really appreciate the invitation. Come on, Wally...you can tell me more about Blue Valley and Central City." 

"Fishing?" Kid Flash grumbled. "Aw, jeez...!" 

When the Teen Titans left the room, the Atom turned to his friend. 

"They're the reason I've finally decided to ask Jeanne to marry me. I haven't made it a secret that I felt a bit reticent about bringing children into this life. What if something happened to them? How could their mentors justify endangering their lives?" He paused, slightly embarrassed. 

"I guess you can't deny someone the life that they were born to live, regardless of how old they are. The Teen Titans have proven that they are every bit as courageous and able as their mentors. They've proven their right not only to stand at their partners' sides, but to also work both individually and as a team. They're all great kids, Barry. I'm proud to've met them and to've had a chance to work with them." 

"I'll pass that on to Wally," the Flash said simply. 

The Atom nodded and continued. "I've long felt uncomfortable about asking Jeannie to share my life with me for the very same reasons...What if something were to happen to me? What if someone discovered who I was and decided to take revenge on her?" 

He looked reflectively at the Flash. "But I've found out that I can't live on 'What if's.' I'm a scientist. I deal in facts. And the fact is that I can't live without Jeanne. If she'll have me, then I'll share everything with her. And if she and I are even one-half as happy as you and Iris, then I'll consider myself a lucky man." 

**** 

Dick knelt at his window seat, his elbows on the windowsill. He gazed at the night sky with new eyes. Tonight each star was a potential sun around which revolved as yet unknown planets upon which as yet unknown races lived out their lives. 

"Up there somewhere is another kid, looking up at *his* night sky, and spotting our sun," Dick murmured. "Does *he* wonder if our star has planets that might have life?" 

Dick sighed. 

"What is it, chum?" Bruce's quiet voice spoke from the doorway. Not turning, Dick shrugged his shoulders. 

"Nothing." 

"I see." Bruce walked up to his ward and sat next to him. He craned his neck to look out the window with him. 

"It must've been lonely," Dick said quietly. 

"Yes," Bruce agreed. Dick leaned slightly against Bruce. Hesitating briefly, Bruce placed his arm around his boy's shoulder. 

The End #### 


End file.
